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Remifentanil infusion prolongs spinal anesthesia

Mohamed Hassan Soliman1, Sami M Ibrahim, Kiran Saeed

  • 1Anesthesia Dept, HGH, Hamad Medical Corporation Doha, Qatar. msoliman64@gmail.com

Middle East Journal of Anaesthesiology
|July 10, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Spinal anesthesia using bupivacaine and fentanyl for transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) provided prolonged anesthesia. Remifentanil infusion further extended the anesthetic duration, enhancing patient management during the procedure.

Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Urology

Background:

  • Transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) is a common surgical procedure.
  • Spinal anesthesia is frequently employed for TURP, requiring careful management of anesthetic duration.

Observation:

  • A patient undergoing TURP received spinal anesthesia with 0.5% bupivacaine and 20 mcg fentanyl.
  • The patient regained sensation after 150 minutes.

Findings:

  • The combination of bupivacaine and fentanyl provided a baseline anesthetic duration.
  • Intravenous remifentanil infusion significantly prolonged the effective anesthetic period by an additional 105 minutes.

Implications:

  • Remifentanil infusion can be a valuable tool for extending spinal anesthesia duration in TURP.
  • This approach may offer improved surgical conditions and patient comfort during prolonged procedures.
  • Optimizing anesthetic duration with adjuncts like remifentanil can enhance perioperative care in urological surgery.

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