Costing anaesthetic practice - An economic comparison of regional and general anaesthesia for varicose vein and inguinal hernia surgery

A computerised database of operating theatre activity was used to estimate the costs of regional and general anaesthesia for varicose vein and inguina l hernia surgery. Data retrieved for each procedure included the anaestheti c technique and drugs used, and the duration of anaesthesia, surgery and re covery. The costs of anaesthetic drugs and disposables, salary costs of the anaesthetic personnel and maintenance costs for anaesthetic equipment were considered. Drugs and disposables accounted for approximate to 25% of the total cost of an anaesthetic. Anaesthetic times were 5 min longer for regio nal anaesthesia, but recovery times were 10 min shorter following regional anaesthesia for varicose vein surgery. Staff costs were dependent on the le ngth of time each staff member spent with the patient. Although the number of cases was small, provision of a field block and sedation for inguinal he rnia repair was considerably cheaper than other anaesthetic techniques.