The immunosuppressive effects of volatile versus intravenous anesthesia combined with epidural analgesia on kidney cancer: a pilot randomized controlled trial

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the suppression of the cell-mediated immunity is worse under the use of inhalational anesthesia as compared to total intravenous anesthesia, in patients undergoing kidney cancer surgery under combined low thoracic epidural analgesia and general anesthesia.