Abstract
We used sevoflurane for inhalation anesthesia for internal fixation of a fracture of the tibia in a 3-year-old Thoroughbred race horse. The stage of surgical anesthesia was maintained by an end-tidal sevoflurane concentration of 2.6-2.9%. The anesthesia time was 7 hr, and the time from extubation until standing was 2 hr in this case. No marked problems on pulmonary and cardiovascular function have been observed during surgery in this case. The postoperative creatinine phosphokinase and lactate dehydrogenase levels were markedly high (17, 280 and 5, 080 U/l, respectively), and induration swelling was observed in the musculus longissimus of the back and the mesogluteus. These findings suggest myopathy. However, no marked post-anesthetic problems such as difficulty in standing developed. Sevoflurane seems to be a safe anesthetic for long term inhalation anesthesia in horses. The maintenance concentration of sevoflurane seen in this horse clinically supported the estimated concentration based on the minimum alveolar concentration of sevoflurane.
