title: Effects of General-epidural Anaesthesia on Haemodynamics in Patients with Myasthenia Gravis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current study aims to explore the effects of general-epidural anaesthesia (GEA) on the perioperative haemodynamics in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), as well as their extubation time.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 42 MG patients (Ossermann I-II b types) receiving elective total thymectomy were randomized into GEA (n = 20) and general anaesthesia alone (GA; n = 22) groups. Changes in their mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded before anesthesia and at the time of intubation, skin incision, sternotomy and extubation. Dosages of general anaesthetics during time unit and the time of extubation and complete recovery from the ending of the operation were also recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After anaesthesia, both groups displayed increased MAPs and HRs, with those in the GA group significantly higher than those in the GEA group (p < 0.05). The total consumption of general anaesthetics in the GA group was markedly higher than that in the GEA group (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The GEA group had shorter postoperative extubation and recovery time than the GA group (p < 0.01). General-epidural anaesthesia stabilizes perioperative haemodynamics, reduces the consumption of general anaesthetics and shortens extubation time. It is a feasible and ideal anaesthetic method at present.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Chinese PLA 309 Hospital, Beijing 100091, China. xzcwcn@yeah.net.
authors.forename: X-Z
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Chinese PLA 309 Hospital, Beijing 100091, China.
authors.forename: C-W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Chinese PLA 309 Hospital, Beijing 100091, China.
authors.forename: H-Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Chinese PLA 309 Hospital, Beijing 100091, China.
authors.forename: Y-H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Chinese PLA 309 Hospital, Beijing 100091, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Chinese PLA 309 Hospital, Beijing 100091, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Chinese PLA 309 Hospital, Beijing 100091, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang