RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To report the major complications (epidural hematoma and abscess) of postoperative thoracic epidural analgesia in patients who underwent lung surgery. DESIGN: Prospective, monocentric study. SETTING: A university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: All lung surgical patients who received postoperative thoracic epidural analgesia between November 2007 and November 2015. INTERVENTIONS: Thoracic epidural analgesia for patients who underwent lung surgery. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: During the study period, data for 2,907 patients were recorded. The following 3 major complications were encountered: 1 case of epidural hematoma (0.34 case/1,000; 95% confidence interval 0.061-1.946), for which surgery was performed, and 2 cases of epidural abscesses (0.68 case/1,000; 95% confidence interval 0.189-2.505), which were treated medically. CONCLUSIONS: The risk range of serious complications was moderate; only the patient who experienced an epidural hematoma also experienced permanent sequelae.