The Effect of Preoperative Clonidine in a Laparoscopically-Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy

Oh, Soo Won

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic surgery is a technique with cosmetic advantage, reduction of hospital days, postoperative pain and morbidity. However, in terms of anesthetic care, increase of airway pressure and blood pressure, decrease of ventilatory capacities, and hypercarbia have been problematic issues. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of preoperative administration of clonidine for controlling blood pressure during laparoscopic surgery.
METHODS
Forty patients who underwent a laparoscopically-assisted vaginal hysterectomy were randomly allocated into clonidine administered group (group C) or a control group (group N) before the operation. Clonidine 0.15 mg was given intravenously for group C patients, then induction was started. Blood pressure and pulse rates were measured at times of entering the operating room, intubation, post-intubation 1, 3, and 5 minutes, post-insulfflation 10 minutes, and postoperatively 1 hour. Blood sugar was checked at post-insulfflation 10 minutes and postoperatively 1 hour.
RESULTS
In both groups blood pressure and pulse rate increased significantly compared to the control value after intubation and this feature continued to post-intubation 1 minute in group N. There was significant increase of blood pressure in the postoperative 1 hour period only in group N. Blood sugar also increased significantly at post-insufflation 10 minutes in group N and 1 hour in both groups. Comparing the two groups, blood pressure values of group N at postintubation 1, 3, and 5 minutes were significantly higher than group C, and pulse rate at postinsuflation 1 hour was significantly higher than group C. In addition, the blood sugar in group N was significantly higher than group C at postinsufflation 10 minutes.
CONCLUSIONS
Preoperative clonidine administration is an effective and convenient method to control hypertension and the blood sugar level during laparoscopic surgery.