Comparative Study between the Effect of two Anesthetic Agents and Techniques on the Immune System

Abstract

General anesthesia and surgical stress have a major role in affecting patients' cellular immunity. Different anesthetic techniques may have different effects on the immune response of patients undergoing the same type of surgery. Comparing the effects of two types of anaesthesia on immunological and neurohormonal responses to anaesthesia and surgical stress. Forty patients were assigned to undergo either volatile induction or maintenance of anaesthesia [VIMA] with sevoflurane or total intravenous anaesthesia [TIVA] with propofol. Plasma cortisol, glucose and CRP levels were measured, A blood sample was collected 24 h before surgery [Sbasal] to achieve the basal findings of the patient. The first sample on the day operation was collected just before the induction of anesthesia [S1] , the second sample was collected 2 h later after induction [S2] and the third sample was collected 24 h after surgery [S3]. VIMA with sevoflurane is less immunosuppressive than TIVA with propofol in patients undergoing surgery. Further studies will be needed to ensure that these results could help anesthetists to select safer anesthetic circumstances especially for immunocompromised patients performing different types of surgeries. TIVA reduce stress hormone responses compared with VIMA. This result suggest that TIVA with propofol may has advantages over VIMA with sevoflurane in stress related responses to surgery , including secretion of cortisol and glucose.