The effect of anesthetic techniques on hemostatic function in arthroscopic surgery: evaluation by thromboelastography.
BACKGROUND
Anesthetic techniques are known to affect blood hemostasis, which may be responsible for the pathogenesis of postoperative venous thromboembolism. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of general and spinal anesthesias on blood hemostasis using thromboelastography.


METHODS
Forty patients undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery were enrolled for study and randomly allocated to one of two groups, to receive either general (GA; n = 20) or spinal anesthesia (SA; n = 20). In addition to thromboelastography, prothrombin and activated partial-thromboplastin time, and haematocrit and platelet count were also examined concurrently. Blood was sampled and examined before anesthesia to provide the baseline data (Time 1). Three more evaluations were performed at different time, i.e., twenty minutes after induction of anesthesia and just prior to skin incision (Time 2), thirty minutes after skin incision (Time 3), and three hours after surgery (Time 4).


RESULTS
There were no intra- or inter-group differences noted as comparing the measured parameters obtained prior to, during, or three hours after surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
From the present study, we do not find any individual anesthetic technique which would have effect on the hemostasis of patients who received diagnostic arthroscopic surgery.
Huang
Go-Shine
GS
Department of Anesthesiology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, No. 325, Chenggung Road, Section 2, Neihu 114, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Chang
Jen-Huei
JH
Lee
Meei-Shyuan
MS
Wu
Chia-Chun
CC
Lin
Shu-Pi
SP
Lin
Shinn-Long
SL
Wong
Chih-Shung
CS
D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal; D001182:Arthroscopy; D005342:Fibrinolysis; D006487:Hemostasis; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D013916:Thrombelastography; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000209:etiology