Osaka city medical journal
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Preoperative epidural morphine using double-catheter technique for esophagectomy.
This study was undertaken to determine whether preoperative epidural morphine using double-catheter technique would improve postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing esophagectomy with or without continuous intraoperative epidural lidocaine in a randomized double-blind and controlled manner. Thirty patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal cancer received preoperative epidural morphine 2 mg at T 6-7 and 2 mg at L 3-4 through the catheters, respectively. Thereafter, continuous thoracic epidural infusion of either 1% lidocaine (lidocaine group, n = 15) or normal saline solution (control group, n = 15) at 6 ml/h was initiated. ⋯ There was no significant difference in these values between the groups. In conclusion, preoperative epidural morphine using double-catheter technique provided adequate analgesia following esophagectomy. The addition of intraoperative continuous epidural lidocaine did not improve analgesia.