The role of epidural anesthesia and analgesia in postoperative outcome.

There is increasing evidence to support the hypothesis that epidural anesthesia and analgesia (EAA) can improve surgical outcome by reducing postoperative morbidity and hastening recovery. Likely benefits include decreased incidence of cardiac complications in high-risk patients; lower incidence of pulmonary complications, specifically pneumonia, atelectasis, and hypoxemia in patients at risk for pulmonary complications; lower incidence of vascular graft occlusion after lower extremity revascularization; lower incidence of DVT and pulmonary embolus; suppression of the neuroendocrine stress response; and earlier return of gastrointestinal function. Nonetheless, large multicenter prospective randomized studies are required to more definitively assess the impact of EAA on morbidity and mortality, ICU time, length of hospitalization, and cost of healthcare.