MedPath

Parasternal Subpectoral Plane Blocks for Cardiac Surgery Via a Midline Sternotomy

Not Applicable
Conditions
Pain, Postoperative
Interventions
Procedure: Parasternal Subpectoral Plane Block
Registration Number
NCT04788056
Lead Sponsor
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Brief Summary

To better determine whether parasternal subpectoral plane blocks (PSPB) infusing bupivacaine for midline sternotomy decreases opioid consumption and pain scores.

This is a prospective, blinded randomized controlled trial with 2 arms. 1 arm is the saline control arm, PSPB catheters will be placed with saline and continue to infuse saline. The other arm is bupivacaine study arm, PSPB catheters will be placed with bupivacaine and continue to infuse the local anesthetic.

Detailed Description

Subjects will be randomized to receive PSPB catheters infusing either bupivacaine or saline. Randomization will be achieved using a computer-generated randomization scheme. The surgeon, nurse, anesthetist and patient will be blinded. The investigational drug service will prepare blinded solutions (bupivacaine 0.2% or saline syringes) for performance of the block. They will also prepare bags (either bupivacaine 0.125% or saline) to be infused through the catheter.

Following skin closure, but before removal of the surgical drapes, regional anesthesiologists will scrub in, gown and perform the placement of PSPB catheters under strict surgical aseptic technique. Real-time ultrasound (US) imaging will be used to visualize the pectoralis major muscle and its corresponding rib cartilages, and a needle/introducer sheath will be guided parasternally into the fascial plane. The needle will be advanced in the plane, hydro-dissecting with 30 mL of bupivacaine 0.2% in the study group or 30 mL of saline in the control group per side. Following hydro-dissection, a 5 in. multiport catheter will be inserted via the sheath, and the catheter will be secured following US confirmation of appropriate catheter position. This procedure will then be repeated on the other side. After completion of bilateral PSPB catheters, patients will remain intubated and be transferred to the CSICU on a sedation regimen at the discretion of the intraoperative anesthesia team. Upon dropping off to the ICU, each catheter will be attached to a programmable pump infusing plain bupivacaine 0.125% at 10 mL/hr or saline infusing at 10 mL/hr. Once again, the solution to be infused postoperatively will be prepared by pharmacy and blinded from the patient, nurse, and postoperative pain service providers.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
154
Inclusion Criteria
  1. Male or Female
  2. Aged 18 - 80 years
  3. scheduled for primary elective cardiac surgery via median sternotomy
  4. willingness to undergo psychosocial testing
  5. willingness to participate in long-term follow up
  6. willingness to be randomized to receive local anesthetic or saline infusion through PSPB catheters
  7. access to an email and computer
Exclusion Criteria
  1. Allergy to opioids
  2. allergy to bupivacaine
  3. emergency surgery
  4. unable to provide informed consent
  5. weight less than 50kg

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
BupivacaineParasternal Subpectoral Plane BlockPSPB catheters will be placed with 60mL of 0.2% bupivacaine and continue to infuse bupivacaine 0.125% at 10mL/hr through the catheter
SalineParasternal Subpectoral Plane BlockPSPB catheters will be placed with 60mL of saline and continue to infuse saline through the catheters.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Opioid Consumption2 days

Cumulative opioid consumption on post-operative day 1 and 2

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Persistent Postoperative Pain scoresMeasured at 1 year

Persistent midline sternotomy pain, on a numerical rating scale (NRS) 0-10

Incidence of arrhythmiaHospital stay, an average of 5 days

Whether active bupivacaine group has lower incidence of arrythmia versus saline control group. And whether this correlates to a certain plasma bupivacine level

Length of ICU stayFrom arrival to ICU to discharge to floor, up to 5 days

When patients are deemed ready to be discharged from ICU

Time to extubationPost-operative day 1

From arrival time to ICU to extubation

Acute Postoperative Pain scoresthrough initial hospital stay, an average of 5 days

At rest and activity, on a numerical rating scale (NRS) 0-10

Pain and patient characteristics1 year

Whether there is a correlation between development of persistent post-sternotomy pain and psychosocial/psychophysical characteristics. Will be ascertained from a variety of questionnaires (i.e. brief pain index, brief symptom inventory, coping strategies, fibromyalgianess, pain catastrophizing scale, positive and negative affect scale, PROMIS anxiety short form (SF), PROMIS depression SF, PROMIS sleep disturbance SF

Length of hospital stayFrom arrival to ICU to discharge from hospital, up to 5 days

When patients are deemed ready to be discharged from hospital

Incidence of deliriumTime in ICU to discharge to floor, up to 3 days

Assessed using CAM-ICU

Time to first opioid administration after extubationExtubation to first opioid administration, up to 3 days

When patient first requests opioid after extubation

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath