Functional residual capacity (FRC) was measured before and after induction of anaesthesia for jejunoileal bypass surgery in 30 morbidly obese patients. The onset of anaesthesia was associated with a 51% reduction in FRC from 2.2 litre to 1.0 litre. Eighteen of the patients were investigated more extensively; in these subjects FRC was reduced below the control values of residual volume (RV) with the onset of anaesthesia, but recovered towards baseline after laparotomy incision. Reduction in FRC is related to baseline vital capacity (VC) and FRC and is much greater than that reported for patients of normal weight.

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