Epidural bupivacaine versus epidural sufentanil anesthesia: hemodynamic differences during induction of anesthesia and abdominal dissection in aortic surgery.

The present study was designed to compare the hemodynamic changes of epidural bupivacaine (EB) with epidural sufentanil (ES), supplemented by general anesthesia, in patients scheduled for abdominal aorto-iliac surgery. Twenty-eight ASA Grade 2 patients randomly received bupivacaine 0.5%, 1-1.5 mg kg-1 (n = 14) or sufentanil 150 micrograms (n = 14) epidurally at T12-L1, combined with light general anesthesia. Hemodynamics were measured before (T1) and after (T2) injection of EB or ES, after induction of general anesthesia (T3), and during the aortic dissection period (T4). EB or ES injection both produced a significant decrease in systolic, mean and diastolic blood pressure, left ventricular stroke work index (LVSWI) and coronary perfusion pressure (CPP). The induction of general anesthesia caused a significant fall in heart rate (HR) and cardiac index (CI) in the ES group. Abdominal dissection restored systemic pressure and cardiac index in the ES group. It was concluded that both ES and EB provided adequate analgesia and hemodynamics during tracheal intubation and abdominal dissection for aorto-iliac surgery.