PERIOPERATIVE MYOCARDIAL-ISCHEMIA IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING TRANSURETHRAL SURGERY - A PILOT-STUDY COMPARING GENERAL WITH SPINAL-ANESTHESIA

We have studied the incidence and duration of perioperative myocardial ischaemia using ambulatory ECG monitoring in 100 patients undergoing transurethral surgery, who were allocated randomly to receive either g eneral or spinal anaesthesia. The overall incidence of myocardial isch aemia increased from 18% to 26% between the preoperative and postopera tive periods. Patients with ischaemic heart disease had a significantl y greater incidence of myocardial ischaemia after operation than patie nts without known ischaemic heart disease (P < 0.05). There was an inc rease in both the incidence and duration of myocardial ischaemia after operation with both anaesthetic techniques, but no significant differ ence between the two.