Eleven thyrotoxic patients preoperatively prepared with beta-adrenoreceptor blocking- agent,
Propranolol, were evaluated during the two-year period from April: 1975 through March 1977
1. There were eight women and three men. The average age was around 30 with the youngest
being 16 and the, oldest 48 years of age,
2. In our early experience with Propranolol, the drug was prescribed in addition to thioamide and iodine preoperatively, but eventually they were omitted. The last six patients received only Propranolol. When used alone, oral Propranolol was, administered every 6 hours with a to tat daily dose ranging from 120~320mg for the periods varying between 3 and 6; days. The final preoperative dose was; given orally 2 hours before operation and the drug was reinstituted within 8 hours after operation. Propranolol was progressively decreased and then discontinued on the fourth postoperative day.
3. There were little adverse effect incident to the use of Propranolol. The thyroid gland prepared with Propranolol was firmer, less friable, more easily mobilized and less likely to bleed than the conventionally prepared thyroid.
4.. One case of sinus bradycardia during the course of preparation with the drug was the only complication attributable to Propranolol.
5: ´Standard´ anesthetic techniques were employed with the exception that no atropine was given preoperatively.
6. It is concluded that beta-adrenoreceptor blocking agent, Propranolol seems to be the drug of choice for a short-term preparation of the hyperthyroid patients undergoing thyroidectomy obviat-ing necessity for the burdensome conventional long-term thioamide therapy.
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