The effect of epidural somatostatin on postoperative pain.

The epidural injection of a bolus of 250 micrograms somatostatin followed by continuous epidural infusion provided complete postoperative relief of pain in eight patients who had undergone abdominal surgery; no other analgesics were required. In two patients, intravenous and intramuscular naloxone had no effect on the analgesia provided by epidural somatostatin. In two patients, epidural somatostatin also produced adequate intraoperative analgesia. Epidural somatostatin was associated with no side effects.