Post Thoracic Surgery Clinical Trial
Official title:
Double-blind Comparison of Intrapleural Bupivacaine and Saline for Ipsilateral Shoulder Pain After Thoracotomy in Patients Receiving Thoracic Epidural Analgesia
While thoracic epidural could control incisional pain after thoracotomy, an excruciating ipsilateral shoulder pain happens post thoracotomy and could affect up to 85% of thoracotomy patients. It is often difficult to manage and relatively resistant to opioids. The investigators postulate that in the presence of a functioning thoracic epidural, intrapleural bupivacaine administered through the chest tube could be effective in reducing post thoracotomy ipsilateral shoulder pain.
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