Total intravenous anesthesia with etomidate, alfentanil and droperidol

Forty-six women admitted for gynecologic surgery, were given alfentanil 1 mg, droperidol 2.5 mg and etomidate 0.3 mg/kg body weight intravenously for induction. Anesthesia was maintained using etomidate infused at a rate of 0.1 mg/kg/min for 5 minutes and at 0.01 mg/kg/min afterwards. Analgesia was achieved with a bolus injection of alfentanil prior to surgery, supplemented with additional injections of alfentanil as needed. Controlled ventilation was done with a mixture of air/oxygen. Anesthesia was uneventful in all but two patients. Blood pressure and heart rate remained stable during the entire operative period. Recovery from anesthesia was smooth, although the combination with etomidate and droperidol appears to prolong the recovery time.