Dexmedetomidine for Improving Emergence Quality in Thyroid Surgery

Thyroid surgery requires smooth emergence from anesthesia to minimize coughing, hemodynamic fluctuations, and agitation during extubation, which may contribute to postoperative complications such as bleeding or cervical hematoma. Dexmedetomidine, a selective α2-adrenergic receptor agonist, has sedative, analgesic-sparing, and sympatholytic properties that may improve anesthetic stability and recovery quality. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a continuous perioperative dexmedetomidine regimen initiated at induction of anesthesia and maintained during thyroid surgery. The study will compare dexmedetomidine combined with standard balanced anesthesia versus standard anesthesia alone in terms of anesthetic requirements and emergence quality. The primary hypothesis is that perioperative dexmedetomidine administration reduces anesthetic and opioid requirements and improves emergence quality by decreasing coughing during extubation and hemodynamic responses.