[The present status of interpleural analgesia]

Since the introduction of interpleural administration of local anaesthetics by Kvalheim and Reiestad in 1984, this technique has been applied to treat postoperative pain after cholecystectomy, renal, thoracic and unilateral abdominal surgery. Other indications are pain control in patients who suffered multiple rib fractures and in patients with chronic pain due to pathological processes in the pancreas. Due to the fact that interpleural analgesia is considered a new anaesthetic procedure, a number of questions still have to be answered regarding the mechanism of action, the appropriate local anaesthetic solution to be employed and, most importantly, the benefit/risk ratio associated with this technique. The purpose of this review article is to give a detailed account of the knowledge and obtained clinical experiences present to date regarding interpleural analgesia, and to give a critical evaluation of this method.