Study Summary

Six studies including 422 adult patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery were included in this meta-analysis comparing epinephrine-infused irrigation fluid versus standard irrigation fluid without epinephrine. Pooled outcomes of interest included surgeon-rated visual clarity, incidence of increased pump pressure, operative time, irrigation fluid volume used, and mean arterial pressure (MAP). Overall, the use of epinephrine significantly improved surgeon-reported visual clarity and reduced the need for increased pump pressure during surgery. However, no statistically significant differences were observed in operative time, irrigation fluid consumption, or mean arterial pressure between groups. These findings suggest that adding epinephrine to irrigation fluid improves intraoperative visualization without increasing hemodynamic risk during shoulder arthroscopy.