Effect of Thoracic Epidural Analgesia for Thoracotomy on the Occurrence of AF

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Thoracic Epidural Analgesia; Atrial Fibrillation; Sympathetic Outflow; Posterolateral Thoracotomy; Lung Resection
• Interventions: Other: TEA followed by Intravenous morphine; Other: Thoracic Epidural Analgesia (TEA)

• Registration Number: NCT01718717
• Lead Sponsor: Larissa University Hospital

Brief Summary

Thoracic epidural anesthesia and analgesia for patients undergoing lung resection can reduce the occurrence of AF if it is continued for six postoperative days instead of just three.

Detailed Description

THEA is considered a very effective technique of providing intra and post-operative analgesia for thoracic surgical procedure and it seems that can also be effective in reducing the incidence of postoperative AF in patients undergoing lung resection. Nevertheless the timing of stopping the epidural analgesia and its further substitution with other therapies, remains unclear.

In this study patients who are scheduled for lung resection surgery will undergo the surgery under combined general anesthesia with volatile anesthetics and thoracic epidural anesthesia.

Immediately after surgery the patients will be divided into two groups:

* those who will receive thoracic epidural analgesia for 6 days

* those who will receive thoracic epidural analgesia for 3 days and will then switch to intravenous morphine for another 3 days

All the patients will be monitored daily for arrythmias

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2012-10-28
• Study First Submitted QC: 2012-10-28
• Study First Posted: 2012-10-31
• Status Verified: 2014-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2014-07-09
• Last Update Posted: 2014-07-10
• Study Start: 2014-12
• Primary Completion: 2016-01
• Study Completion: 2017-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 50

Inclusion Criteria

• lung resection
• pneumonectomy

Exclusion Criteria

• Patient refusal
• AF (present or in the past
• contraindications for epidural catheter placement

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
3 days TEA and 3 days intravenous morphine	TEA followed by Intravenous morphine	Postoperative analgesia for the first three postoperative days with TEA followed for the next three days with intravenous morphine, and daily monitoring for arrhythmia
6 days TEA	Thoracic Epidural Analgesia (TEA)	Postoperative analgesia for the first six postoperative days with TEA and daily monitoring for arrhythmia

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Occurrence of AF	6 postoperative days	Every day, for the first 6 postoperative days, the investigators will record an ECG of the patient, and look after for any presence of AF

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Quality of analgesia	6 postoperative days	The investigators will record the quality of analgesia, as it can be measured with VAS, for the 6 first postoperative days for all patients

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Larissa University Hospital; 🇬🇷 Larissa, Thessally, Greece