Conscious sedation for middle ear surgeries: A comparison between fentanyl-propofol and fentanyl-midazolam infusion

Middle ear surgeries can be performed under local anesthesia and sedation and can be well tolerated by the patient with minimal discomfort. This study was undertaken to compare two techniques of conscious sedation, intravenous midazolam, and propofol infusion for tympanoplasty.

Forty patients scheduled for right or left tympanoplasty. American Society of Anesthesiologists I or II in age group 18-75 years were included in the study. The patients were randomly allocated into one of the two groups to receive either propofol (group I) or midazolam (group II).

The mean duration of anesthesia was 116.00 ± 33.94 min in group I, while 97.50 ± 30.76 min in group II (P = 0.07). The modified Ramsay sedation scale was not statistically significant in both the groups. In group I, 70% of the patients and 95% of the patients in group II had amnesia during the surgery (P = 0.091). The mean visual analog scale (VAS) score for surgeons and patients was not statistically significant in both the groups. In group I there was a positive correlation between the total dose of fentanyl and VAS score for surgeons (P = 0.02). There was also a positive correlation between the total dose of propofol and VAS score for surgeons (P = 0.034) and patients (P = 0.039) in group I.

Though propofol had shown a faster recovery and less nausea vomiting, we need a larger sample size to conclude, which of the technique is better. Both the techniques are safe, simple and versatile and provide excellent sedation with rapid trouble free recovery.