Breathing Hydrogen Gas Before and After Surgery Speeds Up Recovery
The impact of perioperative hydrogen gas inhalation on postoperative recovery in day surgery patients: a research study
Research hubs: Immune System · Endocrine System
- Evidence type
- Randomized controlled trial · Human study
- Authors
- Shuman Ji, Qianqian Xiao, Bohua Zhang, Runlu Cai, Yayu Jing, Duomin Yang, Ni Liu, Zhanqin Zhang, Xiaopeng Mei
- Journal
- Nature Scientific Reports
- Year
- 2026
- PMID
- 42436242
- Study Type
- Human
- Participants
- 150
- Delivery
- Gas
- Dose
- Hydrogen-oxygen mixture via nasal cannula before and after surgery
- H₂ concentration
- 66.7% hydrogen
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 0 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Perioperative hydrogen inhalation modestly improved postoperative recovery quality and reduced inflammatory markers in day-surgery patients.
Key Finding
Patients who inhaled a hydrogen-oxygen mixture before and after day surgery had significantly better postoperative recovery quality scores and lower levels of inflammatory markers compared to the control group.
Summary
Researchers tested whether breathing a hydrogen-oxygen mixture before and after surgery could help patients recover better. In this study of 150 patients undergoing gallbladder or thyroid surgery, those who breathed hydrogen showed better recovery scores and lower levels of inflammatory markers (chemicals in the blood that indicate inflammation) compared to a control group that breathed nitrogen instead. The hydrogen group also showed trends toward less pain and better sleep, though these differences were less clear-cut.
Practical Takeaway
This human study suggests that hydrogen gas inhalation may help reduce inflammation and improve recovery after certain surgeries. However, the study was limited to two specific surgical procedures (gallbladder and thyroid removal), and some benefits like pain reduction and improved sleep showed only trends rather than clear statistical significance. More research in different surgical settings would be needed before hydrogen inhalation could be considered a standard recovery treatment.
Abstract (excerpt)
Hydrogen has been demonstrated to exert anti-inflammatory effects in various clinical settings. This prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted at a day surgery center to evaluate whether perioperative hydrogen inhalation improves recovery outcomes in patients undergoing…