Table 2. Characteristics of the randomized controlled trials that compared neuraxial anesthesia and general anesthesia for urological surgery.

Study (year)	Anesthesia	n	Type of surgery	% Male	Outcome	P value	Remarks
Karakalar et al.11	CSE GA	86 90	PNL	47.8 47.7	Satisfaction degree: CSE had better patient satisfaction.	0.001	Some patients received blood transfusion before surgery.
Tikuisis et al.12	EA + GA GA	27 27	RP	100 100	Blood transfusion requirements: less blood was transfused under EA + GA.	0.007	Duration of surgery under EA + GA was lower.
O’Connor et al.13	EA + GA GA	49 50	RP	100 100	1. Myocardial infarction: EA + GA showed one episode of ST segment depression. 2. Length of hospitalization. 3. Blood transfusion requirements: number of patients transfused under EA + GA was lower.	1. NS 2. NS 3. 0.028	Duration of surgery under EA + GA was lower. Controlled hypotension was used only under EA + GA.
Ozyuvaci et al.14	EA + GA GA	25 25	RC	100 100	Blood transfusion requirements: more units of blood transfusion were used in GA group.	< 0.01	The anesthesiologists were free to use drugs and doses under general anesthesia.
Salonia et al.15	GA SA	36 34	RRP	100 100	Blood transfusion requirements: overall blood loss was less under SA.	0.04	Intraoperative autologous and homologous transfusions were used.
Brown et al.16	SA + GA GA	49 50	RP	100 100	1. Mortality, myocardial infarction and length of hospitalization: were reported as ‘other perioperative outcomes’. 2. Length of hospitalization: GA had more time. 3. Quality of life: eight subscales and two composite scores of the SF-36 were used.	1. N/A 2. 0.01 3. NS	There was no mortality or myocardial infarction data in results section. Quality of life in the study population was better than U.S. population.
Dauri et al.17	EA + GA GA	11 9	RT	53.8 58.3	Length of hospitalization: EA + GA had lower mean.	N/A	Demographic data were not reported.
Shir et al.19	EA EA + GA GA	33 34 33	RRP	100 100 100	1. Mortality: no deaths for three months. 2. Stroke: no neurological complications for three months. 3. Myocardial infarction: Length of hospitalization: median was similar. 4. Blood transfusion requirements: less blood transfusion was performed under EA during surgery.	1. N/A 2. N/A 3. 0.12 4. 0.02	This study was published twice.17,18
Hendolin et al.20	EA GA	17 21	RRP	100 100	Blood transfusion requirements: five patients under GA and one under EA received blood transfusion.	N/A	Correlation test was used but was not reported in ‘material and methods’.
McGowan et al.21	SA GASV GACV	50 50 50	TP	100 100	1. Mortality: four patients died (2.6%). 2. Myocardial infarction: one patient in GACV group. 3. Length of hospitalization: means were statistically the same. 4. Blood transfusion requirements: number of patients transfused was greater in GACV group.	1. N/A 2. N/A 3. >0.05 4. N/A	Surgical procedures were performed by two urologists. GSCV group had more patients transfused but had the biggest prostate between the three groups.

GA = general anesthesia; SA = spinal anesthesia; EA = epidural anesthesia; CSE = combined spinal epidural anesthesia; GASV = general anesthesia with spontaneous ventilation; GACV = general anesthesia with controlled ventilation; PNL = percutaneous nephrolithotripsy; RP = radical prostatectomy; RC = radical cystectomy; RRP = Radical retropubic prostatectomy; TP = transurethral prostatectomy; RT = renal transplantation; NS = not significant; N/A = not available; n = number of participants.