Abstract:Objective To evaluate the effects of maintaining spontaneous breathing with a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) during general anesthesia on cerebrovascular carbon dioxide reactivity (CVR-CO2) and early postoperative cognitive function in patients undergoing thoracic surgery.Methods Eighty patients scheduled for thoracic surgery from August 2021 to March 2023 were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group (40 patients each). The experimental group received LMA general anesthesia with preserved spontaneous breathing, while the control group underwent double-lumen endotracheal tube intubation general anesthesia with single-lung mechanical ventilation. Cerebrovascular blood flow velocity (VMCA) was measured using transcranial color Doppler ultrasonography at different time points during the surgery. Blood gas analysis was performed to calculate CVR-CO2. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and the incidence of early postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) were recorded preoperatively, on the first day, and on the seventh day postoperatively.Results Narcotrend values showed no difference between the experimental and control groups (P > 0.05). However, significant differences were observed in VMCA, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and partial pressure of carbon dioxide at different time points and in their trends (P < 0.05). The cerebrovascular reactivity of the two groups differed significantly during various time intervals (P < 0.05). MMSE scores varied significantly at different time points between the two groups (P < 0.05). On the first postoperative day, the control group had a higher incidence of early POCD than the experimental group (P < 0.05). No significant difference in early POCD incidence was found on the seventh postoperative day (P > 0.05), but the experimental group had higher MMSE scores than the control group (P < 0.05).Conclusion In thoracic surgery, compared to traditional double-lumen endotracheal tube intubation with single-lung mechanical ventilation, maintaining spontaneous breathing with LMA anesthesia increases cerebral blood flow velocity and offers advantages in CVR-CO2. Additionally, it reduces the incidence of early POCD.