The patterns of endocrine response to surgical stress during different types of anesthesia and surgery in man.

The authors studied 123 patients undergoing minor (varicectomy) or major (cholecystectomy) surgery under diethyl ether, halothane, enflurane or hydroxydione anesthesia. The goal was to investigate the effects of emotional tension, anesthesia and surgical trauma, as well as glucose load, on the patterns of endocrine response under standardized clinical settings. The endocrine response (growth hormone, cortisol, insulin) was not modified significantly by emotional stress and the anesthetics used.