Previous studies showed that patients receiving total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with propofol are associated with less postoperative pain and less opioid consumption compared with inhalation anesthesia. However, some studies showed conflicting results. In colorectal surgery, there are only retrospective studies that showed the analgesic effect of TIVA and inhalation anesthesia. The investigators designed a multi-center prospective randomized controlled trial and hypothesized that TIVA with propofol would be associated with reduced postoperative opioid consumption and less postoperative pain compared with sevoflurane in laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery.
