Abstract
The advantages of intraoperative use of epidural anesthesia combined with general anesthesia include easier anesthetic management and the capability of postoperative pain management. Studies have shown that several harmful responses that occur in the human body from surgical stress as well as related postoperative complications can be prevented by the analgesic and sympathetic nerve block effects of epidural anesthesia. There is an increasing number of patients who cannot receive epidural anesthesia because of anticoagulant administration. On the other hand, some new alternative analgesia methods have been reported recently, such as peripheral nerve blocks. Therefore, it is considered likely that a relatively high quality of perioperative management can be achieved without epidural anesthesia. However, epidural anesthesia has some unique advantages, including a preventive effect on postoperative complications. We believe that it is important to continue the use of epidural anesthesia combined with general anesthesia when indicated.
