Abstract
To determine whether epidural anesthesia can be avoided in patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) with the standard Dornier HM3 lithotripter, 33 patients who received monitored anesthesia care (MAC) consisting of intravenous fentanyl and midazolam were compared with 33 who received epidural anesthesia. Only 2 of 31 patients could not tolerate ESWL with its auxiliary procedures under MAC. Preoperative time in the cystoscopy suite was significantly reduced with MAC (17 vs. 33 minutes; P < 0.001), as was recovery room time (143 vs. 214 minutes; P < 0.001). Our study indicates that ESWL with the standard HM3 lithotripter and most pre-ESWL procedures can be performed successfully and safely under MAC.
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