• Mehmet Bilgin, Yigit Akcali, and Fahri Oguzkaya.
• Department of Thoracic Surgery, Erciyes University Medical Facility, Kayseri, Turkey. bilginm@erciyes.edu.tr
• J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. 2003 Nov 1; 126 (5): 1580-3.

BackgroundThe effects of a local anesthetic delivered through a catheter inserted in the extrapleural region by a surgeon and an analgesic agent given systemically on pain after thoracotomy were assessed.MethodsThe patients in group I (n = 25) had a catheter inserted between the parietal pleura and the endothoracic fascia by a surgeon, and 0.5% bupivacaine was given through this catheter. Another 25 patients (group II) had metamizol given intravenously. Respiratory function tests, arterial blood gases, range of shoulder motion, and postoperative pain were evaluated for each group. Bupivacaine and metamizol were given just before finishing the thoracotomy and then repeated every 4 hours for 3 days.ResultsThere was no statistical difference in arterial blood gases between the groups (P >.05). There were statistically significant differences in the respiratory function tests, range of shoulder motion, and visual analogue scale (P <.05) between the groups. Group I had fewer complications than group II. There was no mortality in either group.ConclusionsBupivacaine given through a catheter to the extrapleural region before finishing thoracotomy is substantially beneficial for the prevention of postoperative pain and reduction of postoperative complications.

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