The use of caudal epidural anesthesia in clubfoot surgery.

We reviewed records of 31 children who had surgical release of 41 clubfeet under general anesthesia with supplemental caudal epidural anesthesia. Compared to an equivalent group of 27 children (39 feet), the caudal epidural group exhibited a statistically significant decrease in intraoperative narcotic requirement. One child had a bloody tap, and caudal epidural anesthesia was abandoned, but there were no other complications. Excellent postoperative pain relief persisted for > or = 8 h. Twenty-five of 31 caudal epidural patients were discharged safely on the same day as surgery without any surgical complications. Use of caudal epidural supplementation and outpatient surgery (where indicated) met with a high degree of parent satisfaction. Cost savings of outpatient clubfoot surgery, when compared to overnight stay, were disappointingly low.