Hemorrhoidectomy Under Local Anesthesia after Pentothal Induction versus Spinal Anesthesia: a Concurrent Nonrandomized Prospective Study

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of local anesthesia compared to spinal anesthesia and the usefulness of pentothal induction before infiltration of a local anesthetic agent. METHODS: A concurrent non-randomized prospective study was conducted on 52 patients who underwent a hemorrhoidectomy. For the spinal anesthesia (SA) group (n=29), 0.5% heavy bupivacaine (Marcaine(R)), 5 mg (1 ml), was used, and for the local anesthesia (LA) group (n=23), pentothal, 3.3 mg/kg, was administrated intravenously prior to infiltration of a mixture of local anesthetics (2% lidocaine, 14 ml, with 0.5% bupivacaine, 7 ml). RESULTS: There were no differences between the two groups in terms of operating time, postoperative pain, headache, urinary difficulty, nausea or vomiting, pain-free interval after operation, analgesic requirements, and patient's or surgeon's satisfaction. Postoperative ambulation was earlier in the LA group than in the SA group. CONCLUSIONS: Local anesthesia after pentothal induction can be used effectively for a hemorrhoidectomy and may be a safe alternative to spinal anesthesia.