[Thoracic epidural block for upper abdominal surgery in a patient with myasthemia gravis (author's transl)]

A 76 year-old myasthenic patient with acute biliary obstruction underwent operation under light general anaesthesia combined with a continuous thoracic epidural block. This combination proved to offer good relaxation, analgesia, amnesia and inhibition of reflexes during operation and pain relief postoperatively, without the need of muscle relaxants and narcotics. The patient showed no signs of postoperative weakness due to myasthenia gravis.