Molecular Hydrogen in Surgery and Anesthesia: Studies
Studies in which H₂ was given around an operation (before, during or after surgery and anesthesia), for example to support recovery, to prevent postoperative delirium or to limit oxidative stress during heart surgery with a heart-lung machine. 9 papers are listed here, including 5 randomized controlled trials.
Hydrogen was mostly inhaled, as an H₂/O₂ mixture through a nasal cannula or added to the ventilation gas during anesthesia; one trial used hydrogen-rich saline as a nasal rinse after sinus surgery. Measured outcomes were recovery scores, the rate of delirium, cognitive tests, brain edema after glioma surgery, oxidative stress markers and red blood cell function.
Some trials report favorable differences, for example a better quality of recovery after day surgery or less postoperative delirium in older patients. The trials are small to medium-sized, blinding is not always described, and the endpoints are short-term. The evidence is early; H₂ is not part of standard perioperative care.
Human studies on molecular hydrogen for Surgery & Anesthesia. This page collects the 9 studies catalogued in this area — 5 randomized trials, 4 pilot/observational studies and 0 reviews. Listed newest first.
Human studies (9)
2026 · Ji et al. — The Impact of Perioperative Hydrogen Gas Inhalation on Postoperative Recovery in Day Surgery Patients: A Research Study
In 150 day-surgery patients having laparoscopic gallbladder removal or thyroid surgery, inhaling a hydrogen-oxygen mixture before and after the operation led to a smaller drop in recovery quality scores than a nitrogen-oxygen mixture (QoR-15 decline 9 compared with 14 points, p = 0.008).
2024 · Jin et al. — Clinical Observation of Hydrogen-Rich Saline for Nasal Irrigation After Surgery for Chronic Sinusitis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial
In 61 patients who had surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis, nasal irrigation with hydrogen-rich saline led to lower visual analogue scores after 12 weeks than normal saline (0.52 compared with 1.47, P=0.005).
2024 · Wu et al. — Effects of Perioperative Hydrogen Inhalation on Brain Edema and Prognosis in Patients With Glioma: A Single-Center, Randomized Controlled Study
In patients undergoing glioma surgery, perioperative hydrogen inhalation was followed by a smaller brain edema volume before discharge and a higher edema regression rate than oxygen inhalation (both p < 0.05).
2023 · Deryugina — Molecular hydrogen exposure improves functional state of red blood cells in the early postoperative period: a randomized clinical study
Hydrogen inhalation during cardiac surgery with a heart-lung machine improves the state of red blood cells and the postoperative course.
2023 · Lin — Hydrogen Gas Treatment Improves Postoperative Delirium and Cognitive Dysfunction in Elderly Noncardiac Patients
Prophylactic hydrogen inhalation nearly halves postoperative delirium in elderly patients.
2026 · Sung et al. — Perioperative Hydrogen Inhalation and Postoperative Pain After Endoscopic Discectomy: A Pilot Non-Randomized Clinical Study with Exploratory Murine Data
In a small non-randomised pilot study of endoscopic disc surgery, patients who inhaled hydrogen during the operation had lower pain scores than controls at three of six postoperative time points: arrival in the recovery unit, 1 hour and 1 month.
2025 · Devi et al. — Hydrogen Water Versus Normal Saline for Post-Surgical Irrigation: A Study on Healing and Complication Rates After Third Molar Extraction
In 30 patients having impacted lower wisdom teeth removed, irrigating the surgical site with hydrogen water instead of normal saline was reported to give greater improvement in pain, swelling and restricted mouth opening and less dry socket from the second day after surgery.
2021 · Kaibori — Effect of hydrogen gas inhalation on patient QOL after hepatectomy: protocol for a randomised controlled trial
This is a published trial protocol — not yet results — for a randomised, double-blind, controlled study testing whether inhaling hydrogen gas after liver surgery improves patients' quality of life and reduces post-operative complications.
2021 · Danilova — Application of Molecular Hydrogen in Heart Surgery under Cardiopulmonary Bypass
During open-heart surgery on cardiopulmonary bypass, inhaling 1.5–2% hydrogen gas during anaesthesia reduced markers of lipid peroxidation (oxidative stress) compared to patients who did not receive H₂.