Recovery after propofol with and without intraoperative fentanyl in patients undergoing ambulatory gynecologic laparoscopy.

This prospective, randomized double-blind study was conducted to examine the effect of intraoperative opioid (fentanyl) supplementation on postoperative analgesia, emesis, and recovery in ambulatory patients receiving propofol-nitrous oxide anesthesia. Eighty patients undergoing ambulatory gynecologic laparoscopy participated. Confounding variables that could influence the incidence of postoperative emesis were controlled. Patients received either fentanyl 100 micrograms (Group I) or ketorolac 60 mg (Group II) intravenously (IV) at the time of anesthetic induction. No further analgesic supplements were given intraoperatively. Anesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with propofol-nitrous oxide. Atracurium was used for muscle relaxation and reversed with neostigmine and glycopyrrolate. Postoperative pain during early recovery was treated with IV fentanyl 25-50 micrograms (Group I) or IV ketorolac 15-30 mg (Group II). Subsequent breakthrough pain in both groups was treated with IV fentanyl 25 micrograms increments as needed (rescue analgesia). Eighty-four percent of patients in Group I required analgesics during early recovery versus 56% of patients in Group II (P < 0.05). Maintenance dose of propofol was significantly lower in Group I (129 +/- 35 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 than in Group II (170 +/- 63 micrograms.kg-1.min-1. Immediate recovery (emergence) in the two groups was comparable, despite different propofol requirements. Although the incidence of emetic sequelae in the postanesthesia care unit was not significantly different between the two treatment groups, a significantly larger number of patients in Group I (fentanyl group) had emetic sequelae that required therapeutic intervention (Group I 29% versus Group II 10%). Patients in Group I also took a significantly longer time to ambulate and meet criteria for home discharge. These results indicate that, in patients undergoing ambulatory gynecologic laparoscopy, the practice of administering a small dose of fentanyl at the time of anesthetic induction reduces maintenance propofol requirement, but fails to provide effective postoperative analgesia. Fentanyl administration at anesthetic induction increased the need for rescue antiemetics. The relative severity of emetic sequelae could have contributed to delay in ambulation and discharge.