Table 6.
Morbidity in patients undergoing major hepatectomy in the present series
| Epidural group (n = 69) | CIB + PCA group (n = 429) | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall morbidity, n (%) | 27 (39.1%) | 112 (26.1%) | 0.030 |
| Complications, n (%) | |||
| Bile leak | 2 (2.9%) | 16 (3.7%) | |
| Liver failure | 13 (18.8%) | 43 (10.0%) | |
| Sepsis | 0 | 5 (1.2%) | |
| Abdominal abscess | 1 (1.4%) | 4 (0.9%) | |
| Ileus | 0 | 5 (1.2%) | |
| Pneumonia | 3 (4.3%) | 11 (2.6%) | |
| Pleural effusion | 1 (1.4%) | 4 (0.9%) | |
| Myocardial infarction | 1 (1.4%) | 2 (0.5%) | |
| Wound infection | 1 (1.4%) | 11 (2.6%) | |
| Renal failure | 2 (2.9%) | 7 (1.6%) | |
| Postoperative haemorrhage | 0 | 4 (0.9%) | |
| Peritonitis | 0 | 2 (0.5%) | |
| Ascites | 1 (1.4%) | 8 (1.9%) | |
| Biliary stricture/stenosis | 0 | 4 (0.9%) | |
| Multi-organ failure | 1 (1.4%) | 4 (0.9%) | |
| Pneumothorax | 0 | 2 (0.5%) | |
| Urinary tract infection | 2 (2.9%) | 6 (1.4%) | |
| Atrial fibrillation | 3 (4.3%) | 2 (0.5%) | |
| Other | 2 (2.9%) | 12 (2.8%) | |
| Analgesia-related morbidity (all), n (%) | 29 (45.3%) | 169 (41.4%) | 0.558 |
| Pruritus | 14 (20.3%) | 92 (21.4%) | |
| Hallucinations | 7 (10.1%) | 80 (18.6%) | |
| Dizziness | 4 (5.8%) | 32 (7.5%) | |
| Hypotension requiring treatment | 5 (7.2%) | 0 | |
| Acute confused episode | 3 (4.3%) | 4 (0.9%) | |
| Wound infection | 1 (1.4%) | 11 (2.6%) | |
| Urinary retention | 0 | 3 (0.7%) | |
| Sedation score PoD 1 | |||
| 0 | 37 (82.2%) | 215 (59.9%) | 0.004 |
| 1 | 8 (17.8%) | 129 (35.9%) | 0.015 |
| ≥2 | 0 | 15 (4.2%) | 0.392 |
CIB + PCA, i.m. continuous infusion of bupivacaine plus i.v. patient-controlled analgesia; PoD, postoperative day.
A P-value of < 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.
Other complications include: haematoma at resection area (n = 1), transient ischaemic attack (n = 1), Horner's syndrome (n = 1), pulmonary embolism (n = 1), respiratory failure (n = 1), alcohol withdrawal (n = 1), deep vein thrombosis (n = 1), infected line (n = 1), allergic reaction (n = 1), sacral pressure sore (n = 1), cellulites (n = 1), partial portal vein thrombosis (n = 1), axillary nerve palsy (n = 1) and cerebral infarct (n = 1).