Perioperative renal and myocardial protection primarily depends on preoperative prediction tools, along with intraoperative optimization of cardiac output (CO) and mean arterial pressure (MAP). We hypothesise that monitoring the intraoperative global afterload angle (GALA), a proxy of ventricular afterload derived from the velocity pressure (VP) loop, could better predict changes in postoperative biomarkers than the recommended traditional MAP and CO.

This retrospective monocentric study included patients programmed for neurosurgery with continuous VP loop monitoring. Patients with hemodynamic instability were excluded. Those presenting a 1-day post-surgery increase in creatinine, B-type natriuretic peptide, or troponin Ic us were labelled Bio+, Bio− otherwise. Demographics, intra-operative data, and comorbidities were considered as covariates. The study aimed to determine if intraoperative GALA monitoring could predict early postoperative biomarker disruption.

From November 2018 to November 2020, 86 patients were analysed (Bio+/Bio− = 47/39). Bio+ patients were significantly older (62 [54−69] vs. 42 [34−57] years, p <  0.0001), More often hypertensive (25% vs. 9%, p = 0.009), and more frequently treated with antihypertensive drugs (31.9% vs. 7.7%, p = 0.013). GALA was significantly larger in Bio+ patients (40 [31−56] vs. 23 [19–29] °, p < 0.0001), while CO, MAP, and cumulative time spent <65mmHg were similar between groups. GALA exhibited strong predictive performances for postoperative biological deterioration (AUC = 0.88 [0.80−0.95]), significantly outperforming MAP (MAP AUC = 0.55 [0.43−0.68], p < 0.0001).

GALA under general anaesthesia prove more effective in detecting patients at risk of early cardiac or renal biological deterioration, compared to classical hemodynamic parameters.