Effect of Continuous Local Anesthetic in Post-Cardiac Surgery Patients: A Systematic Review.

Objective: The purpose of this review was to determine the effect of CLA infusion post cardiac surgery on pain, time to ambulation, severe adverse events, patient satisfaction, time to extubation, length of stay in the intensive care unit and in the hospital, total narcotic consumption, and pulmonary function.

Design: Systematic review with meta-analysis (PROSPERO CRD42014010188).

Methods: We searched the following electronic databases: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); MEDLINE; EMBASE; CINAHL; Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED); and PsycINFO; as well as hand-searching cardiothoracic surgery and anesthetic journals and meeting abstracts.

Does continuous infusion of local anaesthesia improve pain control and walking distance after coronary artery bypass graft surgery? A randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of continuous infusion of ropivacaine compared to sham infusion or usual care on pain scores before and after physiotherapy treatment, distance walked and time to discharge from physiotherapy, after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

Design: Prospective, randomised, double blind controlled trial.

Setting And Participants: Seventy-five participants who underwent CABG surgery with left internal mammary artery grafts were allocated, to the ropivacaine group (n=26), the sham group (n=25), or usual care group (n=24).