Simple leg lift or drug may protect elderly surgery patients from dangerous blood pressure drops

This study tests two simple methods to prevent dangerously low blood pressure when elderly patients (60-80 years) are put to sleep for lung surgery. One method uses a low dose of esketamine, a drug that stimulates the heart. The other method gently lifts both legs to boost blood flow back to the heart. The goal is to see which approach, or both, keeps blood pressure stable and reduces complications. About 292 participants will be randomly assigned to receive esketamine, leg lifting, both, or neither during anesthesia induction.