Investigation of the neck swelling by accumulation of irrigation fluid during shoulder arthroscopy in the beach-chair position

Background : The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the degree of neck swelling by accumulation of irrigation fluid during shoulder arthroscopy in the beach-chair position. Methods : Twenty-one patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy in the beach-chair position were included in this study. There were 16 male and 5 female patients, with a mean age of 58.7±16.1 years. All patients' weight and neck circumference were compared pre- and postoperatively and correlated to each other. Results : There was a strong correlation between the increase rate of weight and the increase rate of neck circumference (r=0.69, P<0.05). Conclusions : Pre- and postoperative measurement of the neck circumference might be an easy and useful measure for prediction of postoperative airway obstruction.