Comparison of cognitive, ambulatory, and psychomotor recovery profiles after day care anesthesia with propofol and sevoflurane.

PURPOSE: We compared the recovery profile of propofol and sevoflurane when used for maintenance of anesthesia in elective day care operative procedures.

METHODS: One hundred ASA physical status I and II patients, aged between 18 and 50 years, were randomly assigned to receive either propofol-nitrous oxide or sevoflurane-nitrous oxide maintenance of anesthesia. Early and intermediate recovery in terms of cognitive and ambulatory functions was recorded. Psychomotor testing, in the form of Trieger dot test and digit symbol substitution test, were performed before surgery and in the post-anesthesia care unit at 15 min, 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, and 4 h following nitrous oxide switch-off to evaluate intermediate recovery.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences in recovery of early cognitive functions between the two groups, except that patients in the sevoflurane group were more responsive at around 10 min following nitrous oxide switch-off and "recalled address" earlier than patients in the propofol group. There was no significant difference in between the two groups with regard to "home-readiness."

CONCLUSIONS: Recovery from sevoflurane anesthesia, especially with regard to cognitive functions, may be slightly faster than from propofol, but the difference is not sufficiently significant to affect the time to "home-readiness" in patients undergoing day care surgery.