title: The recovery time of sevoflurane and desflurane and the effects of anesthesia on mental and psychomotor functions and pain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inhalation anesthetics have many advantages for outpatient general anesthesia, such as minimal postoperative side-effects and rapid and full recovery. The aim of this randomized study was to compare the postoperative recovery time of sevoflurane and desflurane and to observe the effects of anesthesia on mental, psychomotor and cognitive functions and pain in outpatients undergoing arthroscopic surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 40 American Society of Anesthesiologists I-II patients who were divided into two groups via sealed envelopes. For maintenance of anesthesia, a mixture of 66% N2O and 33% O2 and 4-7% desflurane was used in Group D, and a mixture of 66% N2O and 33% O2 and 1-2.5% sevoflurane was used in Group S. The modified Aldrete score (MAS) was evaluated postoperatively at time points determined previously. An MAS of 8 or higher was considered to indicate alertness. Mental and psychomotor functions of the patients were evaluated using the short cognitive examination (SCE), and postoperative pain levels were evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference between the groups in terms of demographic data (P > 0.05). The mean time to reach MAS 8, eye-opening, and orientation were higher in Group S as compared to Group D (P < 0.01). The mean MAS initially and at 5 and 10 min was higher in Group D as compared to Group S (P < 0.001). The mean SCE at 5 and 15 min was higher in Group D as compared to Group S (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of VAS scores (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It has been determined that desflurane provided better quality and more rapid recovery than sevoflurane, and the return of cognitive functions in the early postoperative period was faster. In conclusion, both agents can apparently be used safely in outpatient anesthetic procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Jalan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ergönenç
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tolga
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ergönenç
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive care, Bezmialem Vakıf University, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kadir
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: İdin
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive care, Bulancak State Hospital, Giresun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Uğur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Uzun
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive care, Güney Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dirik
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive care, Bilge Hospital, Sakarya, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gökhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gedikli
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive care, Haseki Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gülşen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bican
keywords: Desflurane; outpatient anesthesia; pain; psychomotor functions; recovery; sevoflurane