Background and objectives: Propofol is an intravenous anaesthesia agent with several advantages and usages in surgeries. But there are some reports regarding adverse effects and death with long-term or even short time propofol infusions with different doses recently, which named propofol infusion syndrome (PRIS). As no prospective study is performed for evaluation of incidence and prevalence of PRIS in long-term maxillofacial surgeries up to now, The purpose of current study was to determine the long-term propofol infusion effects in maxillofacial surgeries.

Materials and methods: 55 maxillofacial patients underwent anaesthesia with 100 μg/kg/min propofol infusion for 3–6.5 h evaluated in this prospective study. Measurement of serum level of electrolytes, creatine kinase (CK) and lactate and VBG was performed preoperatively; and in 2, 4 and 6 h after infusion.

Methods of data analysis: The data were analyzed with statistical regression tests by SPSS ver 16 Software ( p < 0.05).

Results: The serum level of potassium and CK increased with the time, but did not proceed beyond the normal range. Although, there were some cases with acidosis (pH = 7.3) or increased lactate serum levels, but no patients required medical intervention or breaking the propofol infusion. There was no patients developed PRIS in our study.

Conclusion: Long term general anaesthesia with appropriate propofol dose infusions combined with glucocorticoids and cathecolamines administrations made no problems in maxillofacial surgeries if clinical situations were monitored carefully.

Key words: propofol infusion syndrome; metabolic acidosis; creatine kinase; potassium