General Anesthesia With or Without Local Ear Block in Middle Ear Surgeries

Eighty adult patients undergoing middle ear surgery (tympanoplasty with or without mastoidectomy) were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomized into two equal groups (40 patients each). A standardized general anesthetic technique was used in both groups. Group I, received general anesthesia combined with ear block using 10 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine and (Group II), received general anesthesia alone combined with ear block using 10 ml saline. Propofol 2‐3 mg /Kg was administered to induce anesthesia, which was maintained using isoflurane. Hemodynamic variables, surgical conditions including the quality of the operative field, intraoperative fentanyl, vasodilators (propranolol and nitroglycerine), isoflurane consumption, recovery time, postoperative pain, total analgesics consumption and postoperative complications were recorded