Comparison of propofol and methohexitone anaesthesia for thermocoagulation therapy of trigeminal neuralgia

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Abstract
Summary: Propofol and methohexitone given in equipatent doses were compared for anaesthesia for thermocoagulation of trigeminal rootlets. Thirty‐eight patients received two to six injections of the induction agents in one therapy session. The increase in arterial blood pressure during coagulation was significantly lower in the propofol group. Respiratory problems were encountered more often in those who received methohexitone (7/19 patients) than propofol (2/19 patients). There was a small but significant increase in blood propofol concentrations as well as in methohexitone plasma concentrations after repeated injections. Individual wake‐up times increased to a statistically significant extent in relation to the number of doses of the induction agent but the increases were clinically unimportant (maximal mean change approximately 2 minutes). There were no differences in wake‐up times between the two anaesthetic groups.