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.

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.

From day of surgery (Day 0) until discharge after surgery

The questionnaire Short Form with 36 questions "SF-36" will be used preoperatively and at 6 weeks after surgery. The SF-36 consists of eight scaled subscores (vitality, physical functioning, bodily pain, general health perceptions, physical role functioning, emotional role functioning, social role functioning, mental Health) and two Component summary scores (physical Component summary scoer, mental component summary score). A score of zero is equivalent to maximum disability and a score of 100 is equivalent to no disability.

Pain at rest will be assessed using a numeric rating scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). Pain is documented on the day of surgery (day 0), 3 times daily postoperative day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42.

Scale: NRS Minimum value:0 Maximum value: 10. Higher scores indicate worse outcome.

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.

Epidural

From day of surgery (Day 0) until discharge after surgery

The EDA was performed by a low thoracic puncture. The epidural infusion included a bolus dose of fentanyl 50-100 µg and a bolus from a mixture of bupivacaine 2.4 mg/ml, adrenalin 2.4 µg/ml and fentanyl 1.8 µg/ml. For the EDA group, a continuous epidural infusion of a mixture of bupivacain 1 mg/ml + adrenalin 2µg/ml + fentanyl 2 µg/ml including the possibility of additional patient-controlled bolus doses was started postoperatively at the postoperative care unit and continued until the morning of the third postoperative day. The infusion rate, normally 4-8 ml/h, and bolus doses, normally 2 ml, were decided on by the responsible physician. The patients also had oral paracetamol 1330 mg three times daily, starting on the day of surgery. Oral oxycodone 10-20 mg twice daily and diclofenac 50 mg three times daily were added in the morning of the third postoperative day before removal of the epidural catheter according to the