Comparison of the effects of propofol versus thiopental induction on postoperative outcomes following surgical procedures longer than 2 hours.

The use of propofol as an induction agent for surgeries lasting less than 2 hours has been shown to result in a faster emergence from anesthesia. Our study was performed to analyze the impact of propofol on surgical procedures lasting longer than 2 hours. A convenience sample of 84 men and women undergoing nonemergency laparoscopic procedures scheduled for longer than 2 hours were enrolled in this prospective study and randomly assigned to receive a standardized induction with thiopental or propofol. Nausea and pain were measured using a 0 to 10 verbal numeric rating scale. Recovery from anesthesia was measured using a modified Newman Bender Motor Gestalt Test. Statistical analysis was used to analyze all ordinal and interval data. A P value of less than, 05 was considered significant. No differences were found between the propofol and thiopental groups in demographics, total surgical time, anesthesia time, recovery times, postoperative analgesic and emetic requirements, satisfaction scores, or incidence of nausea and vomiting. Discharge times from the postanesthesia care unit and to home were similar between groups. Based on the results, we concluded that propofol offered no advantages over thiopental in postoperative outcomes in laparoscopic surgical procedures longer than 2 hours.