Studies of blood clotting system during anaesthesia for prostatectomy. I. Epidural analgesia.

The studies were carried out on 20 patients operated on for prostatic adenoma under epidural analgesia. It was observed that activation of the fibrinolytic system is due to trauma to the prostate and is connected with release of plasmin activators into circulating blood. Epidural analgesia has no effect on the blood clotting and fibrinolysis systems and is a safe method in prostatectomy.