Anaesthesia for short-stay varicose vein surgery

The study was undertaken in order to elucidate the suitability of four different types of general anaesthesia and of epidural block in short-stay varicose vein surgery. Special consideration was given to recovery after anaesthesia. The series consisted of 230 female patients subjected to varicose vein surgery of one lower extremity. The patients' recovery after surgery was observed through tests measuring visual-motor coordination and through questionnaires. The general anaesthesias used were halothane-nitrous oxide-oxygen anaesthesia with spontaneous respiration (Ha), relaxant-dominated combined anaesthesia (Re), analgesic-dominated combined anaesthesia (An), and analgesic-dominated combined anaesthesia with hyperventilation (Hy). Of the general anaesthesias, halothane nitrous-oxide inhalation anaesthesia gave the fastest recovery, although there were no major differences between it and analgesic-dominated combined anaesthesia. In contrast, immediate recovery was prolonged after hyperventilation and after relaxant-dominated anaesthesia. Epidural blockade provided a good alternative to general anaesthesia.