Intrathecal anesthesia for elderly patients undergoing short transurethral procedures: a dose-finding study.

One hundred elderly men (> or =65 yr) undergoing transurethral procedures (<45 min) received bupivacaine 7.5 mg, or bupivacaine 5 mg + fentanyl 20 mug, or bupivacaine 4 mg + fentanyl 20 mug, or bupivacaine 3 mg + fentanyl 20 mug, intrathecally. Intraoperative "rescue" fentanyl requirements were higher (P < 0.