[Epidural anesthesia in vascular surgery in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease]

Epidural anaesthesia was determined in 29 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Lidocaine 2% for vascular procedures such as embolectomy from the arteriae femoralis and arteriae poplitea was used as an anesthetic in 12 patients and 0.5% bupivacaine for aortobitemoral or femoropopliteal bypass in 17 patients. Thus possible complications in patients with obstructive chronic pulmonary disease were avoided as well as prolonged mechanical ventilation and endotracheal intubation. With the postoperative application of local anesthetic through a catheter into the epidural space, spontaneous breathing and good analgesia was achieved. Preoperatively all patients were administered bronchodilators, expetorants and they stopped smoking.