Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

Background: Spinal anaesthesia with bupivacaine is the most common technique used in patients undergoing lower limb and lower abdominal surgeries. The present study compared the anaesthetic efficacy of levobupivacaine and isobaric bupivacaine with buprenorphine for spinal anaesthesia. Materials & Methods: 60 patients aged 18–65 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade I II, scheduled for lower abdominal and lower limb surgery under spinal anaesthesia were divided into 2 groups of 30 each. Group I patients received 0.5% isobaric racemic bupivacaine 3 ml with 2 µg/kg of buprenorphine and group II patients received 0.5% isobaric levobupivacaine 3 ml with 2 µg/kg of buprenorphine. Results: Group I had 20 males and 10 females and group II had 16 males and 14 females. Time for sensory block to T10 dermatome was 4.6 minutes and 5.2 minutes in group I and group II, time for max sensory block was 8.6 minutes and 9.4 minutes, time taken to regress to T10 was 264.5 minutes and 266.7 minutes, maximum motor block (bromage score) was 3 each, time for maximum motor block was 9.4 minutes and 9.7 minutes, total duration of motor block was 221.5 minutes and 215.7 minutes and total duration of analgesia was 294.5 minutes and 297.4 minutes in group I and group II respectively. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). Conclusion: Both bupivacaine and levobupivacaine were equally effective with buprenorphine for spinal anaesthesia. Key words: Bupivacaine, Levobupivacaine, Spinal anaesthesia.