Air Liquide has reported that its LENOXe medical product, the first xenon-based anaesthetic to be marketed in Europe, was used for the first time in France in December 2007 at the Nîmes University Hospital and since then several other anaesthesia procedures using xenon have been successfully performed at the hospital.
LENOXe, is an Air Liquide innovation, composed of xenon which offers remarkable anaesthetic properties, and is administered in a mixture containing oxygen, thanks to the company’s FELIX DUAL anaesthesia workstation. LENOXe acts on the central cerebral receptors.
As xenon is a normal component of air, it can be discharged into the atmosphere without any risk. Its quick elimination from the body once anaesthesia is complete facilitates the patient’s post-operative recovery.
Professor Jacques Ripart, Head of Anesthesia & Pain treatment at the Nîmes Teaching Hospital, explains, “LENOXe is a true innovation in the field of anaesthesia, particularly during long procedures. Xenon’s unique pharmacological properties really offer us new perspectives. I have observed how this product leads to a very rapid recovery, even after a several hour anaesthesia. In addition, xenon’s hemodynamic effects on patients are particularly limited. This molecule is now available for normal use and represents an added benefit to the safety and comfort of patients.”
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