Ineffectiveness of local wound anesthesia to reduce postoperative pain after median sternotomy

Postoperative pain control still represents a major challenge in every surgical field. Bupivacaine wound infiltration is frequently used to reduce the pain related to the surgical incision itself. In this randomized study, we investigated the efficacy of bupivacaine local anesthesia after median sternotomy to reduce postoperative pain. Forty-seven patients undergoing major cardiac surgery procedures were allocated randomly to group A (bupivacaine wound infiltration 0.5%; 10 mL, followed by continuous infusion: 10 mg/24 H) or to group C (controls). Extubation time, postoperative arterial blood gases, postoperative pain (assessed by means of a visual analog scale), and morphine consumption were the endpoints of the study. Patients of group C were extubated earlier; blood gases and VAS values were similar in both group. Bupivacaine local analgesia did not improve postoperative pain control after median sternotomy.