A RETROSPECTIVE COMPARISON OF SPINAL AND GENERAL-ANESTHESIA FOR VAGINAL HYSTERECTOMY - A TIME ANALYSIS

The authors sought to compare time efficiency of spinal versus general anesthesia. The charts of 106 consecutive patients who had undergone a vaginal hysterectomy were analyzed. This analysis divided the patien ts into three groups: Group 1, spinal anesthesia; Group 2, general ane sthesia; Group 3, spinal anesthesia with subsequent general anesthesia . The perioperative time course was divided into six intervals from en try into the operating room to discharge from the postanesthesia care unit (PACU). Total time was calculated by adding the six intervals. Th ere were 85 patients in Group 1, 17 patients in Group 2, and 4 patient s in Group 3. The mean times for surgical readiness once the anesthesi ologist was present for Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3 were 21.4 +/- 7. 3, 21.4 +/- 6.0, and 25.0 +/- 5.8 min, respectively. The total time fo r the three groups was 278.3 +/- 72.0, 245.9 +/- 23.1, and 295.0 +/- 1 01.2 min, respectively (P < 0.01 Group 1 vs Group 2). The difference i n total time between Groups 1 and 2 was accounted for mainly by the st ay in the PACU. This study concludes that there is no difference in th e efficiency of operating room time use between spinal and general ane sthesia.