The Effect of Lumbar Epidural and General Anesthesia on Plasma Catecholamines and Hemodynamics During Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Abstract

Twenty-four patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair were studied to compare the effects of lumbar epidural anesthesia (LEA) and general anesthesia (GA) on plasma catecholamine levels and hemodynamics before and during infra renal aortic cross-clamping. Patients received either a high dose of opioid anesthetic (GA group, n = 12), or lumbar epidural anesthesia to T4 sensory level with a light general anesthetic (LEA group, n = 12). Systemic vascular resistance (SVR) and norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E) levels were measured before anesthetic induction (before epidural activation in the LEA group, and before general anesthesia induction in the GA group), 15 min before cross-clamping, and 1,5, and 10 min after cross-clamping. There was a large (P