Conditions: Gynecological Cancer
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 80
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of the study is to compare epidural analgesia and intrathecal analgesia for explorative laparotomy through a middle-line incision for gynecological cancer in a fast track program to se if there is any difference in recovery. Length of stay is analyzed together with self-rate quality of life.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: The epidural anesthesia is applied at a low thoracic level, primarily Th10-Th11. A bolus dose of fentanyl together with a continuous infusion of bupivacain 2.5 mg/ml, fentanyl 1.8 µg/ml and epinephrine 2.5 µg/ml is used during surgery. Infusion rate is chosen by the attending anesthetist. Postoperatively the epidural anesthesia is continued until the morning of the third postoperative day using bupivacain 1 mg/ml, fentanyl 2 µg/ml and epinephrine 2µg/ml. Infusion rate is set by the responsible physician, maximum rate is 10 ml/hour. arm 2: The patient is given one intrathecal dose of plain bupivacaine (Marcain® spinal) 5 mg/ml, 15 mg together with morphine (Morphine Special®) 0,4 mg/ml, 0.2 mg and clonidine (Catapresan®) 150 µg/ml, 75 µg. The intrathecal mixture is given through a lumbal puncture at level L2/3, L3/4 or L4/5 before the induction of general anesthesia.

Interventions: intervention 1: Epidural intervention 2: Intrathecal
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: None intervention 2: None

Protocol document: