Epidural opioids as anaesthesia for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in two patients with cardiac disease

Two patients with cardiac disease underwent Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) in the Dornier HM3 machine. In order to minimize cardiovascular changes, epidural opioids (fentanyl 100 micrograms in 10 ml saline was used in one patient and meperidine 50 mg in 10 ml saline in the other patient) were used as an alternative to either general anaesthesia or epidural local anaesthesia. Both patients displayed haemodynamic stability, remained pain-free and experienced no complications. Epidural opioids proved a suitable form of anaesthesia for ESWL in these patients.