Changes In Lung Function Parameters After Total Intravenous Anaesthesia And Balanced Anaesthesia With Sevoflurane In Covid-19 Recovered Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery - A Prospective Randomised Controlled Study

Background: The preference for a type of anaesthesia procedure depends mainly on the personal experience and expertise of the anaesthetist with respect to a particular procedure. The majority of COVID-19 patients develop pulmonary consequences. We aimed to investigate the possible differential effects of total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with propofol and balanced anesthesia (BAL) with sevoflurane on various postoperative lung function parameters in COVID-19-recovered patients undergoing general anesthesia for elective surgery. Materials and Methods: This prospective randomized controlled study was conducted for a period of 01 years after obtaining approval from the Institutional Ethical Committee and was registered in Clinical Trial Registry (CTRI) – India with reference No. CTRI/2022/12/048056. 60 COVID-19-recovered patients undergoing elective surgery were randomly allocated to one of the two study groups of 30 patients each: Group B (patients undergoing balanced anesthesia with sevoflurane) and Group T (patients undergoing TIVA with propofol). Pulmonary function parameters, including FVC, FEV1, MEF, and PEF, were recorded both pre-operatively and post-operatively using a portable desktop spirometer. Results: The mean age of study patients was 34.73±9.85 years in Group B and 32.57±7.78 years in Group T. Overall, 73.33% of patients were female and 26.66% were male. Significant reductions in the values of FVC, FEV1, MEF, and PEF were observed post-operatively in both the TIVA and BAL groups. There was no significant difference in the pre-operative and post-operative values of FVC, FEV1, MEF, and PEF between the two study groups. Conclusion: There was no significant effect of the type of anesthesia on pulmonary functions in COVID-19-recovered patients undergoing elective surgery.