Is Caudal Epidural Anaesthesia Effective for Anorectal Surgery?

Objective:-To evaluate the efficacy of caudal epidural anaesthesia in selected patients having anorectal surgical conditions Study design:-A prospective randomized study Place and duration of study: Departments of Anesthesia and Surgery Lahore General Hospital, Lahore from September 2001 to August 2003. Subject/Methods: The study includes 90 pts having common anorectal surgical conditions recruited with consent over 2 years. All patients were subjected to surgery planned under caudal block. Results: Seventy nine patients (87%) were satisfied with the method of anesthesia and eighty three (92%) patients showed their satisfaction with the post operative pain control. Seventy six patients (84%) were contended with the preoperative information and seventy nine patients (87%) showed their willingness to choose this type of anaesthesia if required again. In ten patients there was failure of block resulted in a failure rate of about 11.11%. Conclusion: The cost effectiveness, minimal requirement, satisfactory anaesthesia and high patients acceptability make caudal anaesthesia a usefull option for minor anal surgery.