Comparison of epidural anesthesia with chloroprocaine and lidocaine for outpatient knee arthroscopy.

This study aimed to compare clinical efficacy and safety of chloroprocaine and lidocaine in epidural anesthesia for outpatient knee arthroscopy. Eighty patients undergoing knee arthroscopy were randomly allocated to receive 3% 2-chloroprocaine (group C, = 40) or 2% lidocaine (group L, = 40) for epidural block. Latency to anesthesia onset, highest block level, time to achieve peak effect, time to complete sensory and motor block regression, vital signs including respiration and hemodynamics, and complications during follow-up were recorded. No significant differences were found in the latency to anesthesia onset and peak effect, duration of anesthesia efficacy, and the time for recovery of sensory function between the two groups. However, the latency to maximal block of pain sensation and the time needed to recover motor function were significantly shorter in group C than in group L ( < 0.05). No adverse effects or neurologic complications were found in both groups. In conclusion, epidural chloroprocaine elicits rapid anesthetic effects, fast sensor and motor block, and faster recovery of motor function compared to lidocaine. These characteristics make chloroprocaine better than lidocaine as the choice of epidural anesthesia in short clinical operations such as knee arthroscopy.