PURPOSE: An audit of our first 151 cases of conscious off pump coronary artery bypass (COPCAB) surgery with epidural anesthesia as sole anesthetic. METHODS: Patients underwent conscious off pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery using high thoracic epidural anesthesia. The epidural catheter was inserted on the day before the surgery. RESULTS: There were 118 male and 33 female patients. The incision was via midsternotomy except in 3 patients. Single graft was performed in 25 patients, double in 61, triple in 46, quadruple in 19. Twenty-nine patients developed pneumothorax. Three patients required conversion to general anesthesia. In one patient cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was instituted. There was no mortality in the group. CONCLUSION: Our experience shows that conscious OPCAB surgery can be performed safely in selected patients.
PURPOSE: An audit of our first 151 cases of conscious off pump coronary artery bypass (COPCAB) surgery with epidural anesthesia as sole anesthetic. METHODS:Patients underwent conscious off pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery using high thoracic epidural anesthesia. The epidural catheter was inserted on the day before the surgery. RESULTS: There were 118 male and 33 female patients. The incision was via midsternotomy except in 3 patients. Single graft was performed in 25 patients, double in 61, triple in 46, quadruple in 19. Twenty-nine patients developed pneumothorax. Three patients required conversion to general anesthesia. In one patient cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was instituted. There was no mortality in the group. CONCLUSION: Our experience shows that conscious OPCAB surgery can be performed safely in selected patients.