This prospective, randomized, observer-blind study was conducted following the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study design was approved by the ethical review board of Fayoum University Hospital (D 199), and written informed consent was acquired from all patients. The study was conducted after registration on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04116554; principal investigator: Mohamed Ahmed Hamed; date of registration: October 4, 2019). In this randomized prospective double-blinded study, seventy patients were scheduled for open-heart surgery, including valve replacement or adult congenital (ASD or VSD), in Fayoum university hospital from December 2019 to February 2021. This study adheres to the applicable CONSORT guidelines.
Study population:
Seventy patients aged above 18 years and scheduled for elective cardiac surgery for valve replacement or adult congenital (VSD or ASD) via median sternotomy were included.
The exclusion criteria were as follows; emergency surgeries, re-do surgery, coagulopathy, preoperative poor left ventricular function (Ejection fraction (E.F.) < 35%), systemic infections or infections at the site of injection, neuromuscular disease, psychiatric illnesses, narcotic dependency, allergy to the drug used and prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay for reasons as; heart failure and reoperation for hemostasis.
Patients were randomly divided into two groups with 1:1 allocation (block-group and non-block group) via computer-generated random numbers that were placed in separate opaque envelopes and opened by study investigators just before the block. All blocks were accomplished with the same anesthesiologist. Neither patients nor the functional data collector was aware of randomization.
Anesthetic technique:
All patients were preoperatively examined and investigated by complete blood count, coagulation profile, renal functions, and electrolytes. Electrocardiography, chest x-ray, and echocardiography were routinely done. Coronary angiography and carotid arterial duplex could be requested on-demand.
Patients were premedicated by intramuscular injection of 10mg morphine on the morning of the operation. Before induction of anesthesia, a five-lead electrocardiography system was applied to monitor heart rate, rhythm, and S.T. segments (leads II and V5). A pulse oximeter probe was attached, and a peripheral venous cannula was placed. A 20 G cannula was inserted into either right or left radial artery under local anesthesia to measure arterial pressure and blood sampling. After pre-oxygenation, general anesthesia was induced by midazolam 2 mg, fentanyl (10μg.kg-1), propofol (3mg.Kg-1), followed by atracurium (0.5 mg.kg-1).
The trachea was intubated; patients were mechanically ventilated with oxygen in the air, ventilation parameters were adjusted to achieve normocarbia. An esophageal temperature probe and a urinary catheter also had been placed.
For drug infusion, a triple-lumen central venous catheter was inserted via the right internal jugular vein.
Anesthesia was maintained by inhaled Isoflurane 0.4 to 1% and atracurium infusion of 0.5 mg.kg-1.h-1 for continued muscle relaxation. During extracorporeal circulation, patients have been received propofol infusion at a rate of 50-100 µ.kg-1.min-1. In addition to atracurium infusion.
Before initiation of CPB, the patients were received intravenous heparin (300-500 units.kg-1 body weight) to achieve an ACT > 480 s. CPB was instituted via an ascending aortic cannula and a two‐stage right atrial cannula. Before, during (pump blood flow: 2.4l/min/m2), and after CPB, mean arterial pressure was adjusted to exceed 60mmHg. Cardiac arrest had been achieved with cold ante-grade blood cardioplegia. Lactate‐enriched Ringer's solution was added to the CPB circuit to maintain reservoir volume when needed, and packed red blood cells would be added when hemoglobin concentration decrease to less than 7g.dl-1.
After the patient rewarming to 37°C, separation from CPB, reversal of heparin by protamine sulfate (1:1), and sternal closure had been achieved.
The anesthesiology intern prepared the study solution, bupivacaine 0.25% or normal saline, in the operating room. For carrying out the block bilaterally, the skin on either side of the sternum was prepared with povidone-iodine solution. Then a linear ultrasound probe (Philips clear vue350, Philips Healthcare, Andover MAO1810, USA.) was placed on the right and left sides at 3cm from the mid sternum. The subcutaneous tissue was identified; the intermediate plane: the pectoralis major muscle, the intercostal muscles, the ribs; the deep plane, the transverse thoracic muscle, the pleura, and the lung.
Block-group: had received bilateral TTMP block. After identifying the anatomical plane between the internal intercostal and the transversus thoracic muscles, a 22-gauge short bevel needle (Spinocan, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Germany) was inserted between the fourth and fifth ribs connecting at the sternum.
Correct needle placement was confirmed by visualizing the needle in the plane along its entire length, and the tip of the needle between both muscles, then1 ml of anesthetic liquid was introduced after negative aspiration. The TTMP block was completed by injection of 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine, and the same procedure was repeated on the other side. A Local anesthetic indicated the appropriate injection spread deep to the costal cartilages and downward displacement of the pleura.
Non-block group: patients received sham block bilaterally with 20 ml of 0.9%saline had been injected on each side.
All patients were transported to ICU for postoperative management and care. Tracheal extubation was performed when the patient met the following criteria: awake/arousable, hemodynamically stable, no active bleeding, warm peripheries, and satisfactory arterial blood gas with an FIO2 < 0.5, pressure support on ventilator reduced to 10 Cm H2O, Positive End Expiratory Pressure 5-7 CmH2O, no electrolyte abnormalities, minimal inotropic support, or no escalation in inotropic support.
Postoperative analgesia in the ICU was carried out for both groups. All patients received IV fentanyl via patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with (conc. 10 µg.ml-1, with bolus of 15 µg, and lockout interval 10 minutes, maximum cumulative dose of 90µ.hr-1 and no background dose). Before extubation, analgesia was given as nurse-controlled analgesia (NCA) with the same regimen, depending on the sudden rise in H.R. or MABP ≥20% of the baseline. Paracetamol 1gm was given every 8 hours for all patients. The total 24 h. opioid consumption was recorded.
Measured parameters:
The primary outcome was total fentanyl consumption (time frame: from ICU admission up to 24 hours). Secondary outcomes included: VAS score for sternal pain both during rest and with cough (ranging from 0 indicating no pain to 10 indicating extreme pain) measured at time intervals: 30 minutes, 1hour., 3hours., 6hours., 12hours., and 24h after extubation, time to extubation, The first analgesic request time, ICU length of stay and Total length stay of the hospital.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS:
Before the study, the sample size was calculated. The primary outcome was the total fentanyl consumption during the first 24 hours after surgery. There were no previous studies when designing the study protocol. Therefore, we performed an external pilot study that included 9 patients in each group, with its results not included in the full-scale study. From this pilot, the total 24 hours postoperative fentanyl consumption (µg) was (371.7± 150.03 in the control group versus 260±110.45 in the block group with a mean reduction of 30%). The minimal sample size of patients was 31 in each group needed to get power level 0.90 and alpha level 0.05. the calculated sample size was increased by 10% to reach 35 in each group to allow for dropouts.
The collected data were organized, tabulated, and statistically analyzed using SPSS software statistical computer version 22 (SPSS Inc, USA). We used a two-sample t-test to compare the two groups' mean values (age, BMI, fentanyl consumption) and a Mann-Whitney U test to compare medians for skewed endpoints ( time of extubation, ICU stay, and hospital stay). The chi-squared test was used to determine significance, and Qualitative data were presented as numbers and percentages (Sex, HTN, D.M., and the operation type). Linear mixed models were used to account for repeated measures of pain scores. A fixed-effect model was used for the group and a random effect model for the subject. The first analgesic request time was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier estimator; Median time and (95% CI ) were estimated, and the log-rank test was performed to compare study groups. A two-sided P-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.