OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to present an audit report of thoracic epidural anesthesia without permanent neurologic deficits in more than 2,000 patients undergoing cardiac surgery. DESIGN: A prospective audit of cases conducted over a 13-year period. SETTING: Tertiary referral heart hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Two thousand one hundred thirteen patients over a period of 13 years. INTERVENTIONS: Epidural catheters were inserted at the C7 to T3 intervertebral space on the day before the operation in all patients; cardiac surgery was performed with or without cardiopulmonary bypass. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The authors did not encounter any permanent neurologic deficits in their series. The authors encountered 18 (0.85%) primary dural punctures and 4 cases (0.18%) of temporary neurologic deficits. CONCLUSION: This series adds to the worldwide experience of the use of epidural analgesia concomitantly with anticoagulation in cardiac surgery without serious complications.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to present an audit report of thoracic epidural anesthesia without permanent neurologic deficits in more than 2,000 patients undergoing cardiac surgery. DESIGN: A prospective audit of cases conducted over a 13-year period. SETTING: Tertiary referral heart hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Two thousand one hundred thirteen patients over a period of 13 years. INTERVENTIONS: Epidural catheters were inserted at the C7 to T3 intervertebral space on the day before the operation in all patients; cardiac surgery was performed with or without cardiopulmonary bypass. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The authors did not encounter any permanent neurologic deficits in their series. The authors encountered 18 (0.85%) primary dural punctures and 4 cases (0.18%) of temporary neurologic deficits. CONCLUSION: This series adds to the worldwide experience of the use of epidural analgesia concomitantly with anticoagulation in cardiac surgery without serious complications.