Comparison of General vs. Intraspinal Anesthesia in Lower Limb Fracture Surgery: A Prospective Study.

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of general versus intraspinal anesthesia in lower limb fracture surgery. Methods: Between January 2018 and August 2022, the researchers' hospital recruited and randomized 433 patients who underwent surgery for lower limb fractures. The study population was divided into 2 groups. Group A (n=220) received general anesthesia during surgery; group B (n=213) received intraspinal anesthesia. Factors were recorded and analyzed, including anesthesia duration, operative time, length of hospital stay, and laboratory indices such as hemoglobin (Hb), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr). All adverse events were monitored as well. Results: There were no significant differences in anesthesia duration, surgery time, and length of hospital stay between the two patient groups (P > .05). After receiving different anesthesia approaches, both groups had similar laboratory results (P > .05). The absence of significant differences in adverse events between the two groups indicates that both methods of anesthesia have comparable surgical safety (P > .05). Conclusion: Both general anesthesia and intraspinal anesthesia provided effective anesthetic effects for lower limb fracture surgery with a similar safety profile. Patients also showed similar laboratory indices and experienced comparable anesthesia duration, operative time, and length of hospital stay.