Pecto-Intercostal Fascial Plane Block Catheter Trial for Reduction of Sternal Pain
Status:
Not yet recruiting
Trial end date:
2023-08-31
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
One of the most painful aspects of open heart surgery is the incision made through the skin
and the sternum to access the heart (a "sternotomy"). Post-sternotomy pain is a potentially
debilitating complication of surgery that slows recovery immediately after surgery and can
lead to issues with chronic pain. Previous research has shown that by injecting local
anesthesia in the pecto-intercostal fascial plane, the space between the pectoralis major and
the intercostal muscles, pain relief can be provided. This study aims to evaluate whether
continuous local anesthetic infusion through multi-orifice pecto-intercostal fascial plane
block (PIFB) catheters can reduce acute sternal pain after cardiac surgery via a complete
median sternotomy.