Methods	Regional anaesthesia added to general anaesthesia versus general anaesthesia
Participants	20 ASA 3 patients scheduled for aortic surgery
Interventions	General anaesthesia for all participants with diazepam, thiopental, fentanyl, nitrous oxide, isoflurane and pancuronium bromide Lumbar epidural analgesia (n = 10): at T12‐L1, 10 to 14 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine through the needle before catheter insertion, bupivacaine 0.5% at the end of surgery and up to 7 mL/h of bupivacaine 0.05% with fentanyl 10 mcg/mL after the surgery IV fentanyl during the surgery and oxycodone 3 to 5 mg IV (n = 10): on request and IV clonidine for hypertension after the surgery for the group without epidural
Outcomes	Death zero to 30 days
Notes	Heparinization for activated clotting time (ACT) 200 s