Abstract
A prospective study of hepatocellular damage following enflurane anesthesia was carried out for eight weeks in twenty-six children undergoing cleft lip and palate surgery. Fourteen children were exposed to enflurane anesthesia once and twelve children were exposed to the anesthesia twice within seven days. In both groups, serum Al-p, Al-p2, Ch-E, and type III procollagen aminopeptide concentrations were decreased significantly on first and second week after the anesthesia. Serum total bilirubin concentration was decreased significantly from first to third week after the anesthesia.
The present study suggests that hepatocellular damage by enflurane can cause inhibition of hepatic enzyme activities, collagen synthesis, and acceleration of biotransformation of bilirubin. This study also suggests that repeated anesthesia with enflurane within a short interval do not cause more injury to hepatocytes than one time anesthesia with enflurane.
