Serratus Anterior Plane Block for Management of Post Thoracotomy Pain

Overview

This is a single-center, randomized, prospective study evaluating the effect of serratus anterior plane block performed after induction of anesthesia, but before the start of surgery on postoperative opioid requirements. The hypothesis of the study is that serratus anterior plane blocks are relatively simple to perform, provide good postoperative analgesia, facilitate early tracheal extubation, and reduce the length of hospital stay after pediatric cardiac surgery through a thoracotomy.

This is a single-center, randomized, prospective study evaluating the effect of serratus anterior plane block performed after induction of anesthesia, but before the start of surgery on postoperative opioid requirements. There is already a postoperative protocol for the management of pain in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit. This protocol will be maintained so all patients will be receiving clinically accepted and standard postoperative pain management. Routine preoperative evaluation will be performed to establish eligibility for study inclusion. All patients will receive anesthesia by a pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist according to the clinical protocol established for these patients. The serratus anterior plane block will be performed by a pediatric anesthesiologist on the acute pain service team who routinely perform pain blocks at this institution. Group 1 will receive an ultra-sound guided serratus anterior block after induction of general anesthesia. Group 2 will not receive a serratus anterior block. Postoperative pain will be managed by a pediatric cardiac intensivist according to a standard pain protocol.