BACKGROUND

We reviewed our experience to determine the effect of epidural versus intravenous analgesia on postoperative pulmonary function and pain control in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) undergoing open surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

METHODS

A retrospective study with prospective collection of data of 30 COPD patients undergoing open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, during a 5-year period. Group I (n = 16) was operated under combined general and epidural anesthesia and epidural analgesia; group II (n = 14), under general anesthesia and intravenous analgesia. All patients performed pulmonary function tests (PFTs) preoperatively and during postoperative days 1 and 4. Pain assessment was performed on all patients during rest and activity on postoperative days 1, 2, and 4 by using the visual analog scale. Data were recorded for PFTs, postoperative pain, length of hospital stay, length of ICU stay, and postoperative pulmonary morbidity, including atelectasis and pulmonary infections.

RESULTS

There was no in-hospital mortality. Hospital stay was similar between the two groups (group I: 7.1 ± 1.0, group II: 7.5 ± 1.1). Group I patients showed significantly increased postoperative PFT values compared with group II patients at all time points (postoperative day 1: FEV(1)(%): 32.3 ± 4.4 vs. 27.1 ± 1.6, p = 0.007, FVC(%): 35.4 ± 8,5 vs. 28.3 ± 2.3, p = 0.035; postoperative day 4: FEV(1)(%): 50.4 ± 6.8 vs. 41.9 ± 6.8, p = 0.017, FVC(%): 51.3 ± 8.3 vs. 43.0 ± 7.9, p = 0.046). However, postoperative clinical pulmonary morbidity was not different between groups. Group I patients showed significantly reduced postoperative pain at all time points compared with group II patients. These differences were more pronounced during postoperative days 1 and 2, both at rest (visual analog score: 1.1 ± 0.9 vs. 2.6 ± 1.6, p = 0.02 and 0.7 ± 0.8 vs. 1.9 ± 1.1, p = 0.021, respectively) and during activity (2.3 ± 0.8 vs. 4.0 ± 1.7, p = 0.013 and 1.6 ± 0.7 vs. 2.8 ± 1.2, p = 0.019, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Epidural anesthesia and postoperative epidural analgesia improve the postoperative respiratory function, compared with general anesthesia and systemic analgesia, and reduce postoperative pain as well, in COPD patients undergoing elective infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.