INFLUENCE OF THORACIC EPIDURAL ANALGESIA ON OUTCOME AFTER RESECTION FOR ESOPHAGEAL CANCER

Background. Many series have reported a lessening of the incidence of anastomotic dehiscence after thoracoabdominal resection of esophageal carcinomata. This has resulted in fatal respiratory complications assu ming a relatively greater role as a cause of death after such procedur es. This study was conducted to investigate the impact of the routine use of thoracic epidural analgesia on respiratory complications after resection for esophageal carcinoma. Methods. This incidence of respira tory complications and the effect on outcome were studied in two group s of patients undergoing thoracoabdominal esophagogastrectomy for esop hageal cancer during a 15-year period. The first group comprised 81 pa tients who underwent operation from 1975 through 1985 in whom thoracic epidural analgesia was not used; the second group comprised 75 patien ts who underwent operation from 1985 through 1990 in whom thoracic epi dural analgesia was used routinely. Results. In the latter group, the incidence of respiratory complications was 13%, and no fatal respirato ry complications occurred, compared with corresponding figures of 30% and 5% in the nonepidural group. The 30-day/hospital mortality during the first period was 9.8% and 6.6% in the 75 patients in whom thoracic epidural analgesia was used routinely. Conclusions. The results of th is study suggest that the routine use of thoracic epidural analgesia d uring thoracoabdominal esophagogastrectomy for esophageal cancer reduc es the incidence of fatal and nonfatal respiratory complications and s hould be incorporated into routine surgical management of operable eso phageal cancer.