Intrathecal dexmedetomidine as adjuvant to ropivacaine in hysteroscopic surgery: a prospective, randomized control...

To compare the effects and side effects of intrathecal ropivacaine supplemented with dexmedetomidine and fentanyl in hysteroscopic surgery under spinal anesthesia.

Female patients (n = 108) undergoing operative hysteroscopic procedures under spinal anesthesia were randomly allocated to the following groups for subarachnoid drug delivery: R (n = 36) received 7.5 mg ropivacaine; RD (n = 36) received 7.5 mg ropivacaine plus 5 μg dexmedetomidine; RF (n = 36) received 7.5 mg ropivacaine plus 15 μg fentanyl. The onset and regression time of sensory and motor blockade, together with the postoperative analgesia and side effects were recorded.

There was no significant difference as to sensory and motor onset time between groups. RD had significantly longer sensory and motor blockade time than RF and R. The mean time of sensory regression to the S1 segment was 191.25 ± 40.24 minutes in RD, 149.86 ± 37.46 minutes in RF, and 139.44 ± 38.97 minutes in R (RD vs. R and RD vs. RF, p < 0.001). The regression time of motor blockade to Bromage score 0 was 146.31 ± 40.72 minutes in RD, 80.28 ± 41.18 minutes in RF, and 84.94 ± 26.11 minutes in R (RD vs. R and RD vs. RF, p < 0.001). RD produced similar analgesia effect with RF, (2 hour visual analog scale (VAS) was 0.00 ± 0.00 and 0.31 ± 0.79, respectively) better than the R group (1.35 ± 1.65, p < 0.005). No pruritus occurred in the RD group, while the rate was 36.1% in the RF group. However, the RD group produced milder postsurgical hypotension (RD vs. R and RD vs. RF, p < 0.05).

Intrathecal dexmedetomidine (5 μg) produced prolonged motor and sensory blockade and less pruritus compared with fentanyl (15 μg) in hysteroscopic surgery.