ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess cardiac and hemodynamic responses and body temperature during long-term general anesthesia using sevoflurane/fentanyl after premedication with a tiletamine/zolazepam/medetomidine combination in swine undergoing experimental pancreas transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve Landrace female pigs of means weight 46.4 +/- 5.1 kg were premedicated by intramuscular administration of tiletamine/zolazepam (3.5 mg/kg), medetomidine (0.03 mg/kg), and atropine (0.02 mg/kg), before anesthesia with 0.75 minimum alveolar concentration sevoflurane and continuous intravenous fentanyl infusion (5.7 +/- 0.7 microg/kg/h). Assessment of heart rate, arterial blood pressure, and temperature in pigs undergoing allogenic pancreas transplant surgery were registered at the start of anesthesia (T0), as well as at 60 (T60), 120 (T120), and 180 (T180) minutes after T0, and finally at the end of anesthesia (T anesthesia end), when we switched off the sevoflurane vaporizer. Analysis of variance was used to determine differences between times with P < .05 considered significant. Results are given as mean values +/- standard deviations. RESULTS: Arterial blood pressure significantly decreased from T120 to the end of anesthesia, while a significantly decreased heart rate was only evident at T60. Body temperature decreased significantly from T60 to the end of anesthesia. These decreases, however, lacked clinical relevance; all parameters were within normal range. No major anesthetic complications were observed in this study. CONCLUSIONS: The administration of a tiletamine/zolazepam/medetomidine combination as premedication in swine subjected to pancreas transplantation allowed for a safe reduction of sevoflurane/fentanyl requirements during long-term general anesthesia. Despite arterial blood pressure and body temperature evidencing a decrease during anesthetic maintenance, all parameters remained within normal range values.