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Life
Volume 15
Issue 11
10.3390/life15111662
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Review

Impact of General Anesthetics on Postoperative Infections—A Narrative Review

by
Taylor P. L. Butt
,
Lynn Jazzar
,
Palak Watts
and
Christian Lehmann
*
Department of Anesthesia, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B2H 0A3, Canada
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Life 2025, 15(11), 1662; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15111662 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 18 August 2025 / Revised: 2 October 2025 / Accepted: 22 October 2025 / Published: 23 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancements in Postoperative Management of Patients After Surgery)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Postoperative infections represent the most frequent complication after surgery. Anesthetic agents, while essential during surgical procedures to ensure unconsciousness, are becoming increasingly recognized as modulators of immune function. Volatile anesthetics have been identified as being able to attenuate the inflammatory response in diverse experimental models. Propofol, a widely used intravenous anesthetic, has also been described to exhibit strong anti-inflammatory mechanisms. This review synthesizes current cellular, experimental, and clinical evidence on the immunomodulatory effects of anesthetic agents, highlighting their impact on host defense mechanisms and postoperative infections. By exploring mechanistic properties and clinical outcomes, it underscores the importance of anesthetic choice in enhancing immune function and postoperative recovery.
Keywords: postoperative infection; immune modulation; anesthetic agents postoperative infection; immune modulation; anesthetic agents

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MDPI and ACS Style

Butt, T.P.L.; Jazzar, L.; Watts, P.; Lehmann, C. Impact of General Anesthetics on Postoperative Infections—A Narrative Review. Life 2025, 15, 1662. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15111662

AMA Style

Butt TPL, Jazzar L, Watts P, Lehmann C. Impact of General Anesthetics on Postoperative Infections—A Narrative Review. Life. 2025; 15(11):1662. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15111662

Chicago/Turabian Style

Butt, Taylor P. L., Lynn Jazzar, Palak Watts, and Christian Lehmann. 2025. "Impact of General Anesthetics on Postoperative Infections—A Narrative Review" Life 15, no. 11: 1662. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15111662

APA Style

Butt, T. P. L., Jazzar, L., Watts, P., & Lehmann, C. (2025). Impact of General Anesthetics on Postoperative Infections—A Narrative Review. Life, 15(11), 1662. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15111662

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