Comparative Study between Propofol or Ketafol Combination in Spinal Anesthesia for Umbilical Hernia Surgery

Aim & objective: Spinal anesthesia is a preferred method in daily practice as it provides muscle relaxation and maintains spontaneous respiration during surgical procedures. Ketofol, a mixture of ketamine and propofol, is a good analgesic and also provides sedation even at low doses.Adequate sedation with spinal anesthesia reduces the stress and anxiety of patients and increases their postoperative satisfaction Methods: 30 umbilical hernia surgery patients were included and divided into two groups: propofol group (Group P, n: 15) and ketofol group (Group K, n: 15). 30 patients were randomly allocated from January 2024 to February 2025. This study was conducted in a private hospital of Mymensingh, Bangladesh. The Ketofol mixture was obtained by mixing 2 ml of ketamine (50 mg/ml) with 8 ml saline and then adding 10 ml of Propofol (%1, 10 mg/ml) to acquire a solution of 5 mg/ml ketamine and 5 mg/ml Propofol. At postoperative 12th hour visual analog scale (VAS) was performed to measure patient satisfaction and pain. Results: Although the duration of surgery was similar in both groups, the duration in intensive care unit was significantly longer in Group P (p:0.002, Table 1). The time taken to reach Ramsay 3 value was significantly shorter in Group K than in Group P (6.4 ± 5.1 vs 9.0 ± 7.2 minutes, p:0.042). Group K patients were also highly satisfied and experienced less pain in postoperative period according to VAS evaluation (p: 0.04). Conclusion: Ketofol is a good alternative for Propofol in spinal anesthesia for regional surgeries with higher postoperative patient satisfaction, lower pain rates and shorter intensive care requirements.