Spinal Analgesia for Colonic Resection Using an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Program

Spinal Analgesia for Colonic Resection Using an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Program

This is a blinded randomized controlled trial in patients undergoing laparoscopic colon surgery. The aim of this study is to assess whether spinal analgesia with a mixture of bupivacaine and morphine provides better pain relief than systemic morphine in a group of patients undergoing colonic resection and using the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program.

Twenty patients will receive spinal analgesia and twenty patients will receive only Patient Control Analgesia (PCA).

This is a blinded randomized controlled trial in patients undergoing laparoscopic colon surgery. The aim of this study is to assess whether spinal analgesia with a mixture of bupivacaine and morphine provides better pain relief than systemic morphine in a group of patients undergoing colonic resection and using the ERAS program.

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients scheduled to undergo laparoscopic colonic resection

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients who have trouble to understand, read or communicate either in French or in English
• dementia
• patients suffering from severe physical disability (arthritis, neuromuscular dysfunction, stroke, paraplegia) or inability to walk or conduct daily activity
• patients suffering from severe cardiac or respiratory disease (status ASA IV)
• patients suffering from metastatic carcinoma
• patients who have a history of chemoradiation within the six months preceding surgery
• morbid obesity
• contraindication to spinal analgesia