New possibilities of controlled hypotension in neurosurgery

The position of controlled hypotension in neurosurgery is reviewed including both the new and old techniques and the drugs used. A special emphasis is placed on our use of sodium Nitroprusside which allows short lived, but very significant lowering of the blood pressure. Using this technique it was possbile in three cases where rebleeding of the aneurysm occurred at operation and in a further six cases of considerable arterial haemorrhage, to, "dry" the field of operation i.e. reduce the bleeding to such an extent that satisfactory orientation and quick and accurate handling of the emergency could be achieved.