Anaesthesia for cystectomy

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Abstract
Summary: Sixty‐two patients who underwent radical cystectomy for deeply infiltrating cancer of the bladder were reviewed. Twenty‐four received an epidural anaesthetic and 38 a conventional muscle relaxant and fentanyl anaesthetic. The epidural technique was found to offer advantages because of its hypotensive effects reducing blood loss intra‐operatively and its use to provide analgesia after surgery.A high incidence of complications accompanied the surgery and frail patients (below 50 kg) and those with symptomatic respiratory disease had a high mortality. Greater attention to pre‐operative care of such patients is indicated.