Meetings

Hospitals can sharply reduce the climate impact and cost of surgery without compromising patient safety by changing routine anesthesia practices, including reducing the use of high-emission anesthetic gases, suggests a new study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY^® 2026 annual meeting.

Patients who smoke or vape cannabis may need more anesthesia during an upper endoscopy than those who use edibles or do not use cannabis, according to a new study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY^® 2026 annual meeting.

Improving sleep before surgery through the use of melatonin or Ambien (zolpidem) may ease presurgical anxiety, reduce pain after surgery, decrease opioid requirements and help patients recover better, according to an analysis of 25 years of research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY^® 2026 annual meeting.

Staying active before surgery may do more than strengthen the body for recovery — it may protect the brain. Regular physical activity at least seven times a week before cancer surgery was linked to a lower risk of developing postoperative delirium, according to research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY^® 2026 annual meeting.

GLP-1 medications, widely prescribed for diabetes and weight loss, may also help protect people from serious complications after surgery. People taking GLP-1 medications had lower rates of major heart-related complications and infections after surgery than those not taking the drugs, according to results of a study of more than 2 million adults undergoing surgery presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY^® 2026 annual meeting.

As marijuana use becomes more common and legal in most U.S. states, patients who use cannabis may face a significantly higher risk of heart attack around the time of surgery, while also showing an unexpected lower risk of dangerous blood clots in the veins, suggests a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY^® 2026 annual meeting.

Ketamine, a medication used in operating rooms for anesthesia and pain control, may offer another benefit for some new mothers: easing early symptoms of postpartum depression after cesarean delivery (C-section), according to a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY^® 2026 annual meeting.

New mothers with limited English proficiency are less likely to receive the standard treatment for painful and debilitating headaches that can occur if the membrane surrounding the spinal cord is accidentally punctured during an epidural for childbirth, according to a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY^® 2026 annual meeting.

Patients who wore noise-canceling headphones during minimally invasive gynecologic surgery were significantly less likely to experience postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), suggest findings from a randomized clinical trial presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY^® 2026 annual meeting.

Read the research being presented at the CHEST 2026 Annual meeting including the latest in asthma, COPD, lung cancer, bronchiectasis, interstitial lung disease, and more. 

Mobile app-based monitoring may help address the vulnerable days and weeks after surgery when recovery shifts from the hospital to home with little direct supervision. Patients using mobile apps had lower risk of serious complications, emergency room visits and readmissions after surgery, but the benefits depended on physician or other clinician involvement, rather than the technology alone, according to research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY^® 2026 annual meeting.