Effect of High Dose Insulin on Infectious Complications Following Major Surgery

Despite improvements in surgical techniques and perioperative care, the high incidence of postoperative surgical site infections remains a major problem in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery (liver, pancreatic and colorectal surgery).

Using the hyperinsulinemic-normoglycemic clamp technique, i.e. continuous infusion of insulin combined with dextrose titrated to "clamp" blood glucose between 4 and 6 mmol/L, we successfully established and preserved normoglycemia during the perioperative period. Our objective of this study is to determine if the maintenance of perioperative normoglycemia by a hyperinsulinemic normoglycemic clamp reduces the rates of incisional and space/ surgical site infections following abdominal surgery (liver, pancreatic and colorectal surgery).