title: Epidural anesthesia for pilonidal sinus surgery: ropivacaine versus levobupivacaine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epidural anesthesia is one of the best options for lower abdominal and lower limb surgery. However, there have been insufficient reports regarding the use of epidural anesthesia for pilonidal sinus surgery. The present study was performed to compare the clinical profiles of epidural block performed with 0.75% levobupivacaine and 0.75% ropivacaine in this procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients undergoing pilonidal sinus surgery were randomly allocated into two groups: one group received levobupivacaine and the other received ropivacaine at 0.75% in a volume of 10 ml. Arterial blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, the onset time of analgesia and duration of block, highest sensory block level, perioperative and postoperative side effects, and patients' and surgeons' satisfaction were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hemodynamic stability was maintained in both groups throughout surgery. The onset time of analgesia (the time from epidural injection of local anesthetic to reach L2 sensorial block) was 6.26 ± 3.49 min in the levobupivacaine group and 4.06 ± 1.75 min in the ropivacaine group (P = 0.116). The duration of sensorial block (time for regression of sensory block to L2) was 297.73 ± 70.94 min in group L and 332.40 ± 102.22 min in group R (P = 0.110). Motor block was not seen in any of the patients in the study groups. Patients' and surgeons' satisfaction with the anesthetic technique were mostly excellent in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients undergoing pilonidal sinus surgery, both levobupivacaine and ropivacaine produce rapid and excellent epidural block without leading to motor block or significant side effects. Although not statistically significant, the onset time of anesthesia was shorter and the duration of effect was longer with ropivacaine than with levobupivacaine in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Göztepe Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zeynep Nur
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Orhon
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Göztepe Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emine Nursen
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Koltka
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Göztepe Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sibel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Devrim
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Göztepe Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tüfekçi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Göztepe Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doğru
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Göztepe Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Melek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Çelik
keywords: Epidural anesthesia; Levobupivacaine; Pilonidal sinus surgery; Ropivacaine
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