Table 1 Endpoints

1

Primary endpoint: patients’ satisfaction on the anaesthesia related satisfaction scale of the ANP questionnaire

2

Secondary endpoints:

∙ Complication rates: systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), postoperative mechanical ventilation, atrial fibrillation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)/ cardiac infarction, air leakage > 7 days, re-operation, pneumonia, new chest tube after surgery, pleural empyema, relevant postoperative bleeding, neurological complications, wound infection, chylothorax, renal failure, heparin-induced thrombopenia, pericardial effusion, pulmonary infarction, pulmonary embolism, paresis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, abdominal complication, peripheral vascular complication, other complication (to be specified), death

∙ Intra- and postoperative carbon dioxide tension: (1) arterial blood gas analysis: awake, at wound closure, 30 and 60 min after wound closure; (2) end-tidal capnometry: continuous recording during the operation and for 60 min after; (3) peak pCO₂ during surgery; (4) time to recovery from peak to baseline pCO₂

∙ Direct medical costs: expenses for surgery related personnel (physicians and nurses), medication and medical devices, inpatient care, length of hospital stay