Antagonization of neuromuscular blockade by sugammadex vs. neostigmine in patients undergoing robotic-assisted urological procedures - effect on extubation time and quality of the recovery - monocentric prospective randomized study

Objective: The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that the use of sugammadex shortens the time to extubation compared to the use of neostigmine in patients undergoing robotically assisted urological procedures. Design: Monocentric prospective randomized study. Setting: Tertiary Care Hospital. Material and methods: Sixty adult patients undergoing robotic-assisted urological laparoscopic surgery without contrain-dications to the administration of rocuronium, neostigmine and sugammadex, with perioperative monitoring of the depth of neuromuscular blockade. Patients were randomized to the group with antagonization of the neuromuscular blockade with either neostigmine or sugammadex. Primary outcome was time to extubation from injection of the antagonist. Results: Sixty-one patients with ASA I-III were enrolled. The time to extubation was significantly shorter in the sugammadex group compared to neostigmine group: 10; 3.5-35 minutes, 45; 16-88 minutes respectively, p < 0.00001 (data shown as an average; minimum - maximum range). In addition, patients in the sugammadex group were transported significantly faster from the operating room. There were no differences in the quality and rate of recovery in 72 hours postoperatively. Conclusion: Sugammadex statistically significantly accelerated the time from administration to extubation in ASA I-III patients after robotic-assisted urologic laparoscopic surgery compared to neostigmine. Thus, sugammadex significantly accelerated the patients' operating room turn-over time.