Background: Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is the mainstay therapeutic management for nasal pathologies. We evaluated flupirtine, a centrally acting analgesic, for producing perfect perioperative conditions in FESS for adults in a day-care setting.
Materials and methods: Sixty-two patients (25-40 years) scheduled for FESS under general anesthesia were randomly divided into Group F (n = 31) receiving preoperative flupirtine (100 mg) and Group C (n = 31) receiving identical-looking placebo capsule per oral 60 min before induction of anesthesia. Perioperative Nasal bleeding and surgeon's satisfaction score during operation; amount and number of patients receiving fentanyl, propofol, and esmolol infusion for analgesia; maintenance of desired bispectral index (BIS) and deliberate hypotension, respectively. Postanesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and hospital stay, hemodynamic parameters, and side effects were all recorded for each patient.
Results: Significantly, less number of patients and less dosage of esmolol were required (P = 0.0040 and 0.0001, respectively) in Group F as compared to that in Group C. Again, number of patients requiring fentanyl and dosage of the same drug was significantly lower in Group F. Dose of propofol for the maintenance of BIS was significantly lower in Group F. However, the duration of controlled hypotension was almost similar in both groups. Group F patients suffered significantly less nasal bleeding and surgeon's satisfaction score was also high in this group. Discharge time from PACU and hospital was similar between two groups without any appreciable side effects.
Conclusion: Flupirtine as a premedication found to be providing more favorable perioperative hemodynamic conditions, analgesia and thus allowing less nasal bleeding as well as more surgeons' satisfaction score.
Keywords: Ambulatory (day care); esmolol; flupirtine; functional endoscopic sinus surgery; heart rate; mean arterial pressure.