Cardiothoracic & vascular anaesthesia
Continuous serratus anterior block for sternotomy analgesia after cardiac surgery: a single-centre feasibility study
Authors' conclusion
A single-centre trial was deemed not feasible for our setting. With limited data, the quality of recovery was not different with ropivacaine dosing of bilateral SAP catheters for sternotomy pain.
Study context
- Population
- Patients undergoing cardiac surgery via sternotomy50 with feasibility data
- Participants
- 52 patients
- Comparison
- Bilateral serratus anterior plane (SAP) catheters with ropivacaine vs placebo
- Primary endpoint
- Feasibility: recruitment rate >4 per month; protocol adherence >90%; primary outcome measurement rate >90%; significant catheter-related adverse event rate ≤2%
Methodological detailsdouble-blinded, placebo-controlled, single-centre
- Double-blinded
- Placebo-controlled
- Single-centre
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Feasibility
Recruitment rate per month
2.4
Minor protocol deviations (no major deviations)
12%
Further findings
Pain, opioid consumption, complications and quality of recovery (QoR-15)
- Not different between groups
Long-term pain · 3 months
- Low in both groups
Safety
Pneumothorax (adverse event rate)
- Pneumothorax rate
- 12%
- Exceeded ≤2% feasibility threshold
Original publication
Continuous serratus anterior block for sternotomy analgesia after cardiac surgery: a single-centre feasibility study. Br J Anaesth. Published 24 January 2025. doi:10.
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