Leg haemodynamics during different forms of anaesthesia in patients undergoing reconstructive vascular surgery

In the present study the effects of three different anaesthetics (halothane, n = 9, enflurane, n = 9, and neurolept, n = 11) on leg circulation were studied during vascular reconstruction with a reversed femoropopliteal saphenous vein bypass graft. Leg vascular resistance showed significant differences between the three anaesthetic groups. Thus, during the pretransfusion period, leg resistance in the neurolept group was significantly higher than in the halothane and enflurane groups, although the blood volume did not differ significantly between the groups. Though leg resistance after blood transfusion decreased significantly more in the neurolept group compared with the two other groups, the resistance after transfusion was still significantly higher in the neurolept group. Inducing pharmacological vasodilatation caused significant increases in common femoral arterial and bypass blood flows in all groups, but the increases were significantly more pronounced in the neurolept group. It is concluded that leg haemodynamics are influenced in different ways according to the anaesthetic agents used. This, in turn, might contribute to a better understanding and a more correct interpretation of the results of intraoperative flow and pressure measurements, and, consequently, to improvement of the reconstructive procedure.