A prospective randomized comparative study of dexmedetomidine and propfol for conscious sedation in middle ear surgery under monitored anaesthesia care

Introduction: Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC) is proposed to be a suitable technique for middle ear surgery. Aim: In present study we compared the efficiency of dexmedetomidine and propofol as an adjunct to local anesthesia for in producing analgesia, sedation, variation in respiratory and hemodynamic responses, along with patients and surgeons satisfaction. Materials and Methods: Fifty patients were enrolled in this prospective, single blinded, randomized study. The patients were allotted randomly into two groups: dexmedetomidine (Group D) or propofol (Group D). Sedation was assessed with Ramsay Sedation Scale (RSS) value of 3. Different parameters observed included changes in hemodynamic and respiratory values, postsurgical recovery time, sedation analgesia, surgeons’ and patients’ satisfaction about quality of anaesthesia. Results: Both the drugs i.e. dexmedetomidine and propofol were found to be providing adequate sedation but propofol was related with increased need for rescue analgesia and less patient satisfaction. These results propose that dexmedetomidine provide sufficient sedation with analgesia with good surgeon and patient ease without any adverse effect for patients being operated for middle ear surgery under local anesthesia.