Comparison of emergence time in children undergoing minor surgery according to anesthetic: desflurane and sevoflurane.

PURPOSE: In earlier analyses, desflurane has been shown to reduce average extubation time and the variability of extubation time by 20% to 25% relative to sevoflurane in adult patients. We undertook this study to determine which agents prompt less recovery time in pediatric patients undergoing minor surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: After obtaining Institutional Review Board approval, we retrospectively reviewed the anesthesia records of 499 patients, with an average age of 5 years, who underwent minor surgeries at Severance Eye and Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital between May 2010 and April 2011. Anesthesia was induced with propofol and rocuronium. Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane (n=340) or desflurane (n=159) with 50% air/O2. Time from cessation of anesthetics to recovery of self-respiration, eye opening on verbal command and extubation were compared between the two groups. Additionally, the incidences of postoperative respiratory adverse events were also compared.

RESULTS: Times to self-respiration recovery, eye opening on verbal command, and extubation were significantly faster in the desflurane group than the sevoflurane group (4.6±2.5 min vs. 6.9±3.8 min, 6.6±3.0 min vs. 9.2±3.6 min, and 6.2±2.7 min vs. 9.3±3.7 min, respectively, p<0.005). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups with respect to adverse respiratory events during the peri-operative period (38.2% vs. 34.6%, p=0.468).

CONCLUSION: Emergence and recovery from anesthesia were significantly faster in the desflurane group of children undergoing minor surgery. Desflurane did not result in any differences in respiratory adverse events during recovery compared to sevoflurane.