The sitting position in neurosurgical anaesthesia: a survey of British practice in 1991

A postal survey of 160 members of the Neurosurgical Anaesthetists'Travelling Club was conducted in 1991 to investigate the currentuse of the sitting position in neurosurgery. There was a 78%response rate; at least one reply was received from every neurosurgicalcentre in the UK. Patients were placed normally in the sittingposition for posterior fossa surgery in eight (20%) of the centres,compared with 19 (53%) in 1981. For posterior cervical spinalsurgery, only three (7%) centres routinely used the sittingposition, compared with 11(31%) in 1981. Thus in the period1981%1991, the number of neurosurgical centres using the sittingposition routinely, decreased by more than 50%. Current techniquesof ventilation and monitoring for the sitting position are discussedbriefly.