Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 2006
ReviewIntrathecal and epidural anesthesia and analgesia for cardiac surgery.
Adequate postoperative analgesia prevents unnecessary patient discomfort. It may also decrease morbidity, postoperative hospital length of stay and, thus, cost. Achieving optimal pain relief after cardiac surgery is often difficult. ⋯ However, applying regional anesthetic techniques to patients undergoing cardiac surgery is not without risk. Side effects of local anesthetics (hypotension) and opioids (pruritus, nausea/vomiting, urinary retention, and respiratory depression), when used in this manner, may complicate perioperative management. Increased risk of hematoma formation in this scenario has generated much of lively debate regarding the acceptable risk-benefit ratio of applying regional anesthetic techniques to patients undergoing cardiac surgery.