Seventy-two patients scheduled to undergo arthroscopic shoulder surgery were randomized to undergo the procedure using irrigation fluid that was either warmed (36 degrees Celsius) or room-temperature (20 degrees Celsius). The purpose of this study was to compare these two approaches with respect to the incidence of perioperative hypothermia. Results indicated that there was no significant difference in core body temperature and the incidence of perioperative hypothermia, whether irrigation fluid was warmed or at room-temperature. Furthermore, pain, prothrombin time difference, haemoglobin levels, weight gain, and the incidence of shivering and dizziness were similar between groups.