Epidural anesthesia following thoracotomy in patients with chronic obstructive airway disease.

Epidural analgesia for control of postoperative thoracotomy pain in patients with carcinoma of the lung and chronic obstructive airway disease is described. The rationale and procedure for its use are presented. Epidural analgesia used in 8 patients requiring pulmonary resection who had chronic obstructive airway disease resulted in an improved postoperative course and avoided use of narcotics or a respirator in 7 of the 8 patients.