Use of Continuous Wound Infusion of Bupivacaine for Analgesia Following Axillary Clearance Surgery

Summary

Axillary clearance forms part of the surgical armamentarium for the treatment of breast cancer. Although the introduction of sentinel lymph node mapping and dissection has allowed for the decreased use of axillary clearance, it remains a frequently performed operation. Axillary clearance is associated with moderate postoperative pain. We hypothesize that a continuous wound infusion of 0.2% Bupivacaine at 4ml/hr would provide superior analgesia, when compared to standard opioid-based analgesia, in patients undergoing axillary lymph node clearance surgery.

Timeline

Start

2010-08

Primary completion

2011-07

Completion

2011-10

Drugs

Indications