Intrathecal lidocaine and sufentanil shorten postoperative recovery after outpatient rectal surgery.

PURPOSE

A short recovery time for same day surgery is important to the patient and the hospital. A prospective, randomized, double-blinded study in the postanesthetic care unit was designed to compare the recovery time from spinal anesthesia with low-dose intrathecal (IT) lidocaine and sufentanil to that with IT lidocaine alone. The incidence of adverse effects was also assessed.

METHODS

Forty-nine patients (ASA I-III, age 20-69 yr) underwent spinal anesthesia for rectal surgery. The patients were randomized into two groups. One group (n = 28) received low-dose IT lidocaine (15 mg) and sufentanil (10 microg) and the other group (n = 21) received IT lidocaine (50 mg). The time to ambulation, the incidence of pruritus, and other variables were recorded. Statistical difference was assumed if P < 0.05.

RESULTS

Our results show a significantly shorter ambulation time (120 +/- 26 min) after IT low-dose lidocaine (15 mg) and 10 microg sufentanil vs 50 mg IT lidocaine (162 +/- 32 min, P < 0.0001). Patients who received IT lidocaine and sufentanil recovered faster. Fifty percent of the patients who received IT sufentanil suffered from pruritus.

CONCLUSION

IT lidocaine (15 mg) and sufentanil resulted in a shorter time to ambulation compared to IT lidocaine (50 mg) alone and provided excellent anesthesia despite its disadvantage of pruritus.