Xenon-anaesthesia and beyond: pros-contras

Xenon is a colourless and odourless noble gas, licensed for human use as an anaesthetic gas as well as a radiological marker. The MAC of this gas is about 63% but Xenon anaesthesia is associated with fast recovery of cognitive function and cardiovascular stability. Nevertheless, Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) incidence for xenon anaesthesia is very high. Xenon has been reported to have cytoprotective effects that may have therapeutic values in both CNS protection, and in organ graft preservation. Currently, there are few studies about the effect of Xenon on ischaemia reperfusion injury of transplantable organs and insufficient clinical data upon its effect on intracranial and cerebral perfusion pressure. We shortly review pros and contras of Xenon, as an anaesthetic agent