COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SEQUENTIAL COMBINED SPINAL EPIDURAL ANAESTHESIA VERSUS SPINAL ANAESTHESIA IN HIGH RISK GERIATRIC PATIENTS FOR MAJOR ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY

Sequential combined spinal epidural anaesthesia (Sequential CSEA) is probably the greatest advance in central neuraxial block in this decade for high risk geriatric patients because here the advantages of both spinal and epidural anaesthesia are summated avoiding the side effects. This study is designed to compare the clinical effects of sequential combined spinal epidural anaesthesia versus spinal anaesthesia in high risk geriatric patients undergoing major orthopaedic procedure. Sixty patients aged 65 to 80 years, ASA III were randomly allocated into two equal groups. Group A (n= 30) received sequential combined spinal epidural anaesthesia with 1 ml (5 mg) of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine with 20 mg fentanyl through spinal route, and the expected incompleteness of spinal block was managed with small incremental dose of 0.5% isobaric bupivacaine through epidural catheter, 1.5 to 2 ml for every unblocked segment to achieve T 10 sensory level. Group B (n= 30) received spinal anaesthesia with 2 ml (10 mg) of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine and 20 mg of fentanyl. Both the groups showed rapid onset, excellent analgesia and good quality motor block. Group A showed a significantly less incidence of hypotension (p< 0.01) along with the provision of prolonging analgesia as compared to group B. So sequential combined spinal epidural anaesthesia is a safe, effective, reliable technique with stable haemodynamic along with provision of prolonging analgesia compared to spinal anaesthesia for high risk geriatric patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery.