Spinal anaesthesia for elective surgery: a comparison of hyperbaric solutions of racemic bupivacaine, levobupivacaine, and ropivacaine

'Hyperbaric' ropivacaine provides reliable spinal anaesthesia of shorter duration than bupivacaine or levobupivacaine, both of which are clinically indistinguishable. The recovery profile of ropivacaine may be useful where prompt mobilization is required.