[The recovery period following total intravenous anesthesia using propofol and alfentanil versus inhalation anesthesia using nitrous oxide and enflurane at 1.3 MAC].

Recovery of motor and mental functions were investigated in two groups with 20 young patients each. One group received total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) with propofol and alfentanil for urological surgery and the other group received nitrous oxide-oxygen anaesthesia in combination with 1.3 MAC of enflurane for lumbar nucleotomy. The following parameters were investigated before and up to 100 minutes after extubation: simple and discriminating motor activities, vigilance and short and long term memory. --Simple and in discriminating motor actions show a significantly faster recovery was seen in the TIVA group during the first 20 minutes after extubation compared to the enflurane-treated patients. Speech-related functions were particularly inhibited in the inhalational anaesthesia group. After 30 to 40 minutes the propofol-alfentanil group was able to meet all requirements while patients with inhalational anaesthesia needed 80 minutes to reach the same level. Recovery of short and long-term memory was also significantly shorter in the TIVA group. This clearly indicates a faster return of mental and motor functions following total intravenous anaesthesia with propofol and alfentanil. However the large dosages of alfentanil may be a problem with regard to post-anaesthetic respiratory depression. Further studies with larger numbers of patients will be necessary to evaluate the potential side effects of continuous propofol/alfentanil infusion. Presently, safety demands require, at least a sixty-minute post anaesthesia monitoring for patients receiving this new anaesthesia method.