Comparative Study between General Anesthesia and Awake Thoracic Epidural Anesthesia for Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery, SOMAYA M. EL-SHAIKH, WAEL A. IBRAHEM, SAYED M. ABED, ABD EL-RAHMAN A. ABD EL-RAHMAN and USAMA ABDEL EL-KHALEK
Abstract
Background: This study evaluated the safety and feasibility of awake thoracic surgery under Thoracic Epidural Anesthesia (TEA) vs. a traditional thoracic surgery under General Ane-asthesia (GA).
Methods: Thirty patients scheduled for thoracic surgery were randomly assigned to receive either sole TEA at any level between T4-T6 with sedation (awake group [AG], n=15) or receive GA with One Lung Ventilation (OLV) and thoracic epidural analgesia (control group [CG], n=15). Evaluated variables included the technical feasibility and patient satis-faction for both techniques.
Results: The study groups as regards technical feasibility and anesthesia satisfaction, showed more patient satisfaction in the awake group than the general anaesthesia group.
Conclusions: Awake thoracic surgery under TEA in highly selected patients and procedures is safe, satisfactory, and technically feasible, than the same procedures performed under GA.