Sevoflurane anaesthesia for major intra‐abdominal surgery

Abstract

The cardiovascular effects and recovery characteristics of sevoflurane and isoflurane anaesthesia were compared in 30 gynaecological and 20 general surgical patients undergoing elective intra-abdominal surgery. Patients were randomly allocated to receive either sevoflurane or isoflurane as the volatile agent, in a balanced anaesthetic technique including morphine and atropine premedication and thiopentone, fentanyl, vecuronium and nitrous oxide. The concentration of volatile agent was titrated according to clinical variables. Mean heart rate, systolic and diastolic arterial pressure and duration of surgery did not differ between the two groups. Time to emergence from anaesthesia in the gynaecological patients was significantly faster after sevoflurane compared with isoflurane (p < 0.005). Sevoflurane provided stable anaesthesia during major intra-abdominal surgery.