The experience of using dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant of anesthesia in ophthalmic surgery

Abstract

Various techniques are applied to reduce the severity of postoperative pain and discomfort in patients. The purpose of this research work was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant of anesthesia in ophthalmic surgery. The study included 80 patients who underwent  corneal transplantation on the basis of Dnepropetrovsk Regional Clinical Ophthalmologic Hospital. Patients were divided into 2 groups: control (group K) – 30 men and main (group D) – 50 ones. Multicomponent balanced anesthesia was applied in both groups. Sibazone was administered as the sedative medicine in the group K, Dexmedetomedin was administered in the group D. The main criteria for evaluating the research results were hallmarked: hemodynamic stability during surgery, the amount of administered opiates, the severity of intraoperative pain syndrome by evaluating the ANI index (ANI – analgesia nociception index), the severity of postoperative pain syndrome and the frequency of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Both schemes of anesthesia allowed avoiding pronounced fluctuations in hemodynamic parameters and gas exchange at all stages of the study. Analyzing the severity of intraoperative pain, we found that in group K pain relief could be considered insufficient during the first 7 minutes of the most traumatic stage of the surgery, while in group D the ANI index did not fall below 50. Statistically significant differences were obtained on minute 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 of the surgery. The number of episodes of insufficient anesthesia during the most traumatic stage of the surgery in group K was statistically significantly higher than in group D. Analyzing the quality of pain relief in the postoperative period it was determined, that the level of pain on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) after awakening in both groups was equal to 0. At the next three stages of the study (2 hours, 6 hours after surgery, and the next morning), the level of pain in group K was significantly higher than in group D. In addition, it was determined that the need for narcotic analgesics and the number of episodes of postoperative nausea and vomiting in group K was statistically significantly higher than in group D. These given data allow us to conclude that Dexmedetomedin is the effective adjuvant of the anesthesia for corneal transplantation.