A Comparative Study of Propofol and Isoflurane Anaesthesia using Butorphanol in Neurosurgery

Propofol and isoflurane have well proven roles as intravenous and inhalational anaesthetics respectively in neurosurgery. We conducted this study to know the outcome using butorphanol as an intraoperative analgesic. Sixty craniotomy patients randomly divided into two groups of 30 each were included in this study. Group A patients were induced and maintained with propofol. Group B patients were induced with thiopentone and maintained with isoflurane. All patients were administered 30 mu g.kg (-1) butorphanol intravenously 10 minutes before induction of anaesthesia, fol-lowed by slow injection of 30 mu g.kg (-1) midazolam. All were assessed for sedation, respiratory insufficiency, postopera-tive nausea and vomiting (PONV) and other side effects in the recovery room. We found no difference in demo-graphic parameters between the groups. The fall in HR was maintained in the post induction / intubation period and throughout the intraoperative period in Group A, unlike Group B patients in whom it rose significantly following intubation. Butorphanol was found to be a safe intraoperative analgesic in neurosurgical patients. In addition, it was associated with statistically better haemodynamics and earlier recovery when used with propofol as compared to thiopentone-isoflurane anaesthesia.