Comparison of anesthetic effects of dexmedetomidine and tramadol, respectively, combined with propofol in percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Anesthetic effects and safety of dexmedetomidine and tramadol, respectively, combined with propofol in ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy (PMCT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were compared. One hundred and seventy-six patients with HCC, treated by ultrasound-guided PMCT in The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2014 to December 2016, were retrospectively analyzed and divided into two groups: dexmedetomidine group (anesthetized with dexmedetomidine combined with propofol, n=91) and tramadol group (anesthetized with tramadol combined with propofol, n=85). Changes in heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) were recorded before oxygen inhalation (T1), intraoperationally (T2), and at 30 min postoperatively (T3), and the recovery time (recorded from the moment the use of anesthetic drugs stopped), hospital stay, visual analogue scale (VAS) score at 48 h after surgery, as well as the adverse reactions in the perioperative period were compared between the two groups. HR and SpO(2) in the dexmedetomidine group at T2 and T3 were significantly lower than those in the tramadol group (P<0.05). HR and SpO(2) at T2 were significantly lower than those at T1 and T3, and HR at T3 was lower than that at T1 (P<0.05). MAP in the dexmedetomidine group at T2 was significantly lower than that in the tramadol group (t=3.836, P<0.001). MAP at T2 was significantly lower than those at T1 and T3, and MAP at T3 was lower than that at T1 (P<0.05). The number of patients with shivering in the dexmedetomidine group was significantly higher than that in the tramadol group (P<0.05). Both tramadol and dexmedetomidine, respectively combined with propofol in PMCT for HCC surgery can achieve satisfactory anesthetic effects. However, tramadol combined with propofol is more effective in stabilizing the vital signs with less side-effects, and is more suitable for PMCT in patients with HCC than dexmedetomidine combined with propofol, which is worth popularizing and applying in clinic.