Anaesthetic and Analgesic Efficacy of Dexmedetomidine versus Fentanyl as an Adjuvant to Epidural Levobupivacaine for Total Abdominal Hysterectomy: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Study

BACKGROUND Total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) is a major surgery and is associated significant morbidity, if pain is not adequately controlled intra- and postoperatively. Epidural analgesia with a variety of local anaesthetics and adjuvants widely used for TAH as it provides both intra- and post-operative analgesia. objective of our study is to compare the effect of epidural levobupivacaine fentanyl versus levobupivacaine with dexmedetomidine for analgesia and blockade in patients undergoing Total Abdominal Hysterectomy. is a prospective, double-blinded trial conducted among 100 women aged 35 and 65 years of age who were allocated randomly into one of the two for elective total abdominal hysterectomies. Group D received epidural 0.5% with dexmedetomidine as adjuvant, and the other group F epidural levobupivacaine 0.5% with fentanyl as adjuvant. to achieve sensory level at T6 was found to be significantly lower (p<0.001) Group D (9.22 + 0.86 min) as compared to Group F (11.30 + 0.99 min). The to achieve complete motor block in Group D was 20.0 + 1.53 minutes and in F it was found to be 24.02 + 1.12 minutes. Complete motor block was in significantly lower (p<0.001) time by Group D subjects as compared Group F. Also, it was found that the duration of analgesia was significantly (p<0.001) in Group D (384.02 + 20.84 minutes) as compared to Group F (270.30 + 19.34 minutes). is a better adjuvant to levobupivacaine than fentanyl for analgesia with better quality of analgesia, prolonged duration of , higher sedation scores, and no significant side effects.