Effect of epidural compared to patient-controlled intravenous analgesia on outcomes for patients undergoing liver resection for neoplastic disease.

Background: Epidural analgesia is routinely used for postoperative pain control following abdominal surgeries, yet data regarding the safety and efficacy of epidural analgesia is controversial.

Methods: Pain-related and clinical perioperative data were extracted and correlated with baseline clinicopathologic data and method of analgesia (epidural vs. intravenous patient-controlled analgesia) in patients who underwent hepatectomy from 2012 to 2014.