Local Anesthetic Infusion and Sternotomy

Summary

Cardiac surgery often induces acute postoperative pain and moreover chronic dysesthesia frequently occur long-term after sternotomy. The high doses of intraoperative opioïds are well known to enhance postoperative hyperalgesia (HA) and a perioperative local anesthetic agent infusion is one of the therapeutic strategies used to limit this phenomena. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a continuous Ropivacaïne sternal infusion compared with a saline serum infusion to limit postoperative HA, pain and morphine consumption (M) after sternotomy in cardiac surgery. This strategy could lead to lower postoperative morphine consumption and opioïd induced hyperalgesia.

Timeline

Start

2009-02

Primary completion

2010-01

Completion

2010-08

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.