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Background Anesthetic drugs may directly or indirectly affect respiratory function. We investigated the effects of intravenous propofol and inhaled sevoflurane anesthesia on postoperative spirometric indices in patients undergoing inguinal herniorrhaphy surgery. Methods We randomly assigned 111 patients, aged 18 - 65 years, undergoing inguinal herniorrhaphy surgery, to receive either intravenous propofol or inhaled sevoflurane. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), and FEV1/FVC were measured before and after anesthesia. Comparisons between the two groups were made using the t-test and ANOVA. Results There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, sex, height, body weight, BMI, pain score, ASA class, operation duration, and received analgesics. The FEV1 and FVC values significantly decreased after the operation in the sevoflurane group. Conclusions Both intravenous propofol and inhaled sevoflurane can decrease postoperative spirometry parameters. However, it seems that patients receiving propofol have less decreased spirometric indices.

Introduction: Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP) is a rare autosomal recessive disease, which is defined by extreme sensitivity to sunlight and UV radiation and characterized by skin lesions and neuromuscular abnormalities. It is caused by a molecular defect in nucleotide excision repair genes. It has been reported that volatile anesthetics may cause genotoxic side effects or aggravation of the neurological signs. We report an XP patient with difficult intubation whose airway was controlled with Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) and was anesthetized with sevoflurane. Case Presentation: A 23-year-old woman, who had been a known case of XP since her childhood, was admitted to our hospital for excision of face mass (SCC) and skin graft surgery. Her airway examination revealed some anatomical and pathological abnormalities, including limitation of mouth opening, jaw protrusion, head extension, and class 4 of mallampati, all predicting difficult intubation. We chose general anesthesia with inhalation induction, LMA insertion and maintenance with sevoflurane without muscle relaxant. The surgery was completed uneventfully and the patient left the hospital the day after the surgery without any new complaint. Conclusions: We suggest that for XP patients with compromised air-way, sevoflurane (not all volatiles) may be preferred.