Continuous epidural anesthesia with elastomeric infusion pump in augmentation mammoplasty

Abstract

Introduction: Continuous epidural anesthesia and analgesia, in addition to providing adequate control of postoperative pain, provide benefits such as decreased risk of thrombosis and intraoperative bleeding.
Objective: To describe the behavior and results of the application of continuous epidural anesthesia by means of an elastomeric infusion pump in patients undergoing augmentation mammoplasty.
Methods: An observational, descriptive, prospective, longitudinal study was conducted at Hermanos Ameijeiras Clinical Surgical Hospital, between February 2014 and February 2016.
Results: 72.8 % were patients 20-29 years old, 57.6 % were ASA I, and 78.3 % had normal weight. 50 % were operated for mammary hypoplasia. Heart rate, as well as systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased 5 minutes after the technique was applied. The average pain was less than 3 in all the moments evaluated. The immediate complications were minimal and mild. 85.9 % described the technique as good.
Conclusions: The behavior and results of the application of continuous epidural anesthesia using an elastomeric infusion pump in the augmentation mammoplasty was stable and safe. There were significant differences in the behavior of intraoperative hemodynamic variables and pain intensity, which was slight in all its measurements. The mediate complications were scarce and not complex. More than three quarters of the patients evaluated, based on the degree of satisfaction, the effectiveness of the anesthetic technique as good for this type of surgical procedure.