The effect of combined epidural and light general anesthesia on stress hormones in open heart surgery patients

P < 0.05) just before skin closure, on the second and the third postoperative day. The β-endorphin levels were substantially lower in group EAA than in group GA throughout the observation. The pain scores were good in 2 patients (17%), fair in 6 (50%), and poor in 4 (33%) for group GA, and good in 8 (67%), fair in 3 (25%), and poor in 1 (8%) for group EAA. We thus conclude that a combined epidural and light general anesthesia is considered to attenuate the stress response and thereby provides a better quality of postoperative pain control. (Received for publication on Nov. 27, 1996; accepted on July 8, 1997)