Continuous perioperative insulin infusion therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes undergoing bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: Continuous insulin infusion (CII) is proven to decrease morbidity and mortality in surgical critical care patients. This study compared standard insulin therapy with CII in type 2 diabetes patients undergoing elective bariatric surgical procedures in a community hospital.
METHODS: A retrospective review investigated 350 bariatric surgical patients with type 2 diabetes who underwent perioperative treatment of hyperglycemia using either standard insulin therapy or CII. The 182 patients in group 1 underwent glucose monitoring and subcutaneous insulin treatment every 6 h, whereas the 168 patients in group 2 had CII treatment beginning in the preoperative holding area and monitored hourly for the next 24 h. The two groups were similar in demographic characteristics.
RESULTS: There were no significant hypoglycemic episodes with perioperative CII. The mean perioperative insulin required was 5.8 U/h. The patients receiving CII had fewer postprocedure cholecystectomies, but a higher number of port-site infections.
CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative CII can be administered safely to diabetic patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The insulin requirements in this population are higher than expected. Our study showed a decrease in the number of postoperative cholecystectomies in the CII group, but no effect on the stricture rate and an increase in the number of patients with postoperative port-site infections.