[Continuous wound infiltration for upper abdominal surgery: 3 case reports]

We report three cases of continuous wound infiltration (CWI) for postoperative analgesia in upper abdominal surgery using the multi-holed epidural catheter. Ropivacaine 0.2% at a rate of 8 ml x hr(-1) was administered through the catheters after surgery. Intravenous-patient controlled analgesia was used as a rescue. The postoperative pain was well controlled, and all patients could walk the next day after surgery. The consumption of rescue morphine was little and no side effect of morphine was observed. CWI is an easy procedure and is indicated in the patients with hemostatic abnormality and a difficulty in the epidural anesthesia. CWI was an effective technique for postoperative pain control in the upper abdominal surgery patients.