Feasibility of radical cystectomy in exclusive spinal and/or epidural anaesthesia.

Purpose Muscle invasive bladder cancer can be found predominantly in elderly people with a high likelihood of suffering from concomitant diseases; especially in these patients, the risks associated with general anaesthesia during radical cystectomy can be the limiting factor of performing an otherwise indicated radical operation. To overcome this limitation, we analysed the feasibility of performing radical cystectomy in exclusive spinal and/or epidural anaesthesia.