Methods	Regional anaesthesia added to general anaesthesia versus general anaesthesia
Participants	124 patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic surgery
Interventions	General anaesthesia in both groups: midazolam, fentanyl, nitrous oxide, isoflurane and vecuronium Thoracic epidural anaesthesia (n = 59): T6‐T7 or T7‐T8 with 3 mL of 1.5% lidocaine with epinephrine 5 mcg/mL, followed (at completion of surgery) by 0.1 mL/kg of 0.125% bupivacaine with fentanyl 10 mcg/mL and an infusion adjusted for VAS scores ≦ three/10 (rest or movement) for 48 hours Morphine IVPCA (n = 65): adjusted for VAS scores ≦ three/10 (rest) for 48 hours
Outcomes	Mortality: during hospitalization Myocardial infarction: new Q‐waves ≧ 0.04 seconds' duration and ↓ ≧ 1 mm on the 12‐lead ECG, or CK‐MB ≧ 50 IU/L. Two‐lead Holter for 24 hours (validated by a cardiologist)
Notes	Heparin 0.5 mg/kg before infrarenal aortic cross‐clamping