Comparison of propofol-fentanyl or midazolam-fentanyl intravenous anaesthesia for carotid endarterectomy.

Carotid endarterectomy has become a standard surgical operation in the therapy of cerebrovascular insufficiency. The cardiovascular status of the patients needs special attention, since the long-term prognosis is predominantly influenced by concomitant coronary artery disease. General anesthesia techniques are raising the challenge of maintaining cardiovascular stability and establishing adequate cerebral monitoring. Randomly selected 30 patients gave informed consent to this approved study. Fifteen patients were anaesthetised with propofol-fentanyl or midazolam-fentanyl combined with N2O-O2. Haemodynamic parameters (mean arterial pressure, heart rate) showed not significant changes during anaesthesia. Recovery profil proved to be significantly better after propofol-fentanyl compared to midazolam-fentanyl anaesthesia.