Cirrhotic patients have impaired hemostasis with variable incidence of hypersplenism necessitating splenectomy. Rotation thromboelastometery (ROTEM) facilitates diagnosis and guides management. This study evaluates perioperative effects of desflurane versus propofol on hemostasis in cirrhotic patients undergoing splenectomy guided by ROTEM and laboratory hemostatic tests.
Thirty hepatic Child A patients, ASA II- III, of either sex, aged 25–55 years, undergoing splenectomy were randomly allocated into two equal groups: Group D; anesthetized with desflurane 1 MAC (6%) and Group P; with propofol Target Controlled Infusion 2–5 µg/ml. Six blood samples were collected; preoperatively, after splenic artery ligation, immediately, first, third postoperative day then one month later. The samples were handled to measure complete blood picture, liver and kidney functions, screening coagulation tests (INR, PT and PTT), specific hemostatic factors (P-Selectin/CD62P, fibrinogen and D-dimer) as well as ROTEM criteria; clotting time (CT), clot formation time (CFT) and maximum clot firmness (MCF) via EX-TEM, IN-TEM and FIB-TEM commercial kits.
This study displayed postoperative hemoglobin reduction; however, platelet and WBCs as well as CT, CFT and MCF increased versus baseline. Screening and specific hemostatic factors as all other changes were within reference range and comparable between both groups.
The current study concluded comparable effects of desflurane and propofol anesthesia on coagulation parameters within acceptable range as monitored by ROTEM and laboratory coagulation tests in cirrhotic patients with hypersplenism. Thus both anesthetics are considered safe in such patients who have high incidence of coagulopathy.