Inhalation anesthesia in laser surgery of retinopathy of prematurity

Purpose: to assess the efficacy of inhalation anesthesia with laryngeal mask in extremely premature infants with low or extremely low birthweight and somatic comorbidities during the surgery of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in the active phase of the disease. Materials and methods. 477 infants of 25 to 32 weeks’ gestational age were treated by delimiting retinal laser photocoagulation. Inductive anesthesia with Sevoflurane (BAXTER HEALTHCARE Corp, USA) was followed by placing a laryngeal mask. The delimiting retinal laser photocoagulation was performed using laser devices with an adapter on a binocular forehead ophthalmoscope Supra (Quantel Medical, France) and LachtaMylon (Lasermedservis, Russia,). After the surgery, the recovery from sedation and return of consciousness took 7 to 10 minutes. Results. An inhalation of Sevoflurane with the adoption of a laryngeal mask airway significantly decreases complications of anesthesia in premature infants with comorbidities and reduces the length of hospital stay. The quick clearance of Sevoflurane makes it possible to begin feeding the infant one hour after the surgery. Conclusion. Inhalation anesthesia with Sevoflurane is a method ensuring that preterm infants receive adequate anesthesia in the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity in its active phase.