[Effects of epidural analgesia combined with general anesthesia on hemodynamics during neck surgery]

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of epidural analgesia combined with general anesthesia on hemodynamics. Thirty patients undergoing surgery for the treatment of cancer of the neck were studied. The patients were divided into two groups of those who received epidural analgesia combined with general anesthesia group (Group 1) and those with general anesthesia alone (Group 2). Blood pressure was not different between the groups. But heart rate and rate pressure products in Group 1 were significantly lower than those of Group 2. CVP in Group 1 increased significantly to 10.1 +/- 2.9 mmHg during surgery from 6.8 +/- 1.8 mmHg at the beginning of the surgery. There was no difference in intraoperative blood loss and the amount of fluid infused between the two groups. These results suggest that epidural anesthesia combined with general anesthesia is effective to stabilize hemodynamics during cervical surgery, but we have to be careful about using local anesthetics during long cervical procedures, because it increases CVP which might result from the depression of cardiac function.