BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the safety and efficacy of sedation and analgesia using remifentanil during percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD).

METHODS: Eighty ASA patients with physical status 1 or 2 who underwent a PELD were enrolled in this study. They were randomized to receive one of two treatments: a fentanyl bolus of 0.7µg/kg 5 min before the procedure and of 0.7µg/kg during the procedure (n = 40, group F), or a remifentanil titration at an infusion rate of 0.1-0.3µg/kg/min available throughout the procedure according to the appeal of pain, level of sedation and side-effects (n = 40, group R). The observer's assessment of alertness/sedation (OAA/S) scale, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, SpO₂, and end tidal CO₂ were assessed and measured during and/or after the procedures. The visual analogue scale of pain (VAS), and the patient and endoscopist satisfaction scale were assessed after the procedures.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the recovery characteristics, incidence of complications and satisfaction score of patients. In 92.5% of the cases among the remifentanil group, the spine surgeon made uniform judgements that remifentanil worked better than the usually used fentanyl procedure, whereas in 7.5% of the cases the effects were indifferent. The VAS score of the R group was significantly lower than that of the F group.

CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that sedation and analgesia with remifentanil is very useful for painful local procedures such as PELDs.