Relationship among anesthesia technique, surgical stress, and cognitive dysfunction following spinal surgery: a randomized trial.

Objective: Surgical trauma is known to result in systemic inflammatory changes that can lead to postoperative cognitive dysfunction. In the present study, the authors compared the effects of an epidural anesthesia protocol to those of traditional anesthesia with regard to postoperative inflammatory changes, cellular immunity, and cognitive dysfunction.

Methods: Forty-eight patients, ages 45-60 years, underwent multilevel thoracolumbar decompression and fusion and were randomly assigned to one of two groups: group 1 (27 patients) had combined epidural and general anesthesia, followed by epidural analgesia for 48 hours after surgery, and group 2 (21 patients) had general anesthesia, followed by traditional opioid pain management after surgery.

Effects of continuous epidural anesthesia and postoperative epidural analgesia on pain management and stress response in patients undergoing major spinal surgery.

Study Design: A prospective, randomized study was used to compare 2 anesthesia/analgesia methods for reconstructive spine surgery.

Objective: To assess the efficacy and influence of 2 anesthetic methods on clinical outcome and stress response during reconstructive spine surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: Pain control is an important goal of the postoperative care after spinal surgery.