Thoracic Epidural blockade is compared with thoracic paravertebral blockade with 0.25%Bupivacaine in patients undergoing thoracotomy for surgical procedures like closed mitral commissurotomy for mitral stenosis, resection of lung segment, pneumonectomy, surgical repair of oesophageal perforation etc. Post thoracotomy pain is of very severe nature which when not relieved could lead to postoperative pulmonary complications. Post thoracotmy analgesia provided by thoracic epidural block and thoracic paravertebral block is comparable but there is more incidence of hypotension in thoracic epidural blockade because of bilateral sympathetic blockade when compared to thoracic paravertebral blockade.