Monitored anesthesia care for dental implant surgery: analysis of effectiveness and complications

The optimal method of providing safe and effective sedation for outpatients undergoing lengthy dental operations is unclear. We provided monitored anesthesia care (conscious sedation) for 102 consecutive dental implant procedures, using intravenous midazolam and fentanyl as primary pharmacologic agents. Midazolam was administered by multiple, intermittent injection or via continuous infusion. The dose of midazolam required for the induction of sedation ranged from 3.4 +/- 1.6 mg to 4.0 +/- 2.0 mg. Maintenance of adequate sedation required a mean midazolam administration rate of 4.0 +/- 2.1 mg/h to 5.1 +/- 2.1 mg/h, and a mean fentanyl administration rate of 54 +/- 29 mcg/h to 60 +/- 27 mcg/h. Continuous monitoring allowed for rapid detection and treatment of 40 separate hemodynamic and respiratory problems. There was no evidence of patient injury, and all patients returned home on the day of surgery. A post-operative telephone survey revealed that 65% of patients had complete amnesia for operative events, 96% were satisfied with monitored anesthesia care, and 94% would desire a similar anesthetic technique for future procedures.