Comparison of Ropivacaine and Levobupivacaine in High Thoracic Epidural Anesthesia

0.5% epidural bolus injection (0.1 mL kg-1) with sufentanil 2.5 µg mL-1 before general anesthesia induction, followed by 0.2% infusion (0.1 mL kg-1 h-1) with sufentanil 1 µg mL-1 throughout surgery; in ICU, 0.1% epidural infusion with sufentanil 1µg mL-1 at 0.1 mL kg-1 h-1 and the rate is modified following this protocol: on awakening (Ramsay 2) VAS on coughing is evaluated: if it is 4 the infusion rate is not changed, if the VAS is ≥ 4 the rate is increased by 2 mL h-1 after giving a 2 mL bolus and VAS is checked again 30 minutes later, if it is ≤ 4 the infusion rate is decreased by 2 mL h-1.

0.5% epidural bolus injection (0.1 mL kg-1) with sufentanil 2.5 µg mL-1 before general anesthesia induction, followed by 0.2% infusion (0.1 mL kg-1 h-1) with sufentanil 1 µg mL-1 throughout surgery; in ICU, 0.1% epidural infusion with sufentanil 1µg mL-1 at 0.1 mL kg-1 h-1 and the rate is modified following this protocol: on awakening (Ramsay 2) VAS on coughing is evaluated: if it is 4 the infusion rate is not changed, if the VAS is ≥ 4 the rate is increased by 2 mL h-1 after giving a 2 mL bolus and VAS is checked again 30 minutes later, if it is ≤ 4 the infusion rate is decreased by 2 mL h-1.