The effect of oral clonidine and intravenous dexmedetomidine administration on the quality of functional endoscopic sinus surgery.

Background: Clonidine and dexmedetomidine are alpha-2 receptor blockers administered for haemorrhage control during surgery in limited settings. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) may be associated with bleeding, thus making it challenging. This study aims to evaluate the effect of dexmedetomidine and clonidine on haemorrhage control during FESS and surgical outcomes.

Methods: This three-blinded prospective study included 102 patients who underwent FESS at the Imam Khomeini public referral hospital at the Imam Khomeini public referral hospital, in Urmia, Iran. It was either American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) class I or II. They were divided into three groups (clonidine, dexmedetomidine, and placebo). The volume of blood loss, mean arterial pressure, surgical field visualisation, and surgeon satisfaction were assessed in the three groups. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 23.0.

Results: Dexmedetomidine and clonidine decreased mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and blood loss volume while improving surgical field visualisation. The effect of dexmedetomidine was associated significantly statistically with surgeon satisfaction (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, dexmedetomidine improved the surgical field and reduced operating times in the dexmedetomidine group (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion: The present clinical trial findings indicated that the administration of dexmedetomidine during FESS decreased mean arterial pressure, provided balanced anaesthesia and appropriate analgesia, and improved the visibility of the surgical field and increased surgeon satisfaction.