Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery - Exparel Study
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) greatly decreased the number and types of surgery that required open thoracotomy. Initially it was thought that VATS would lead to a reduction of respiratory problems and less acute pain in patients when compared to patients receiving an open thoracic surgery. However, for reasons not clearly understood, a large number of patients who undergo VATS still experience moderate to severe post-surgical pain (1). Physicians are still faced with the challenge of providing care that will manage both the respiratory issues as well as manage acute pain. The goal of this study is to find the most suitable regimen to effectively manage post-VATS-related pain.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Phase 2 |
Detailed Description
The "promise" was that video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) would be associated with less severe pulmonary impairment and less acute post-operative pain compared to open thoracotomy. However, VATS can cause moderate to severe post-operative pain in a significant number of patients and the reason for this is not well understood. In addition it has been found that post-surgical pain can be a strong predictor for the development of chronic pain. Inadequate control of acute pain not only causes serious discomfort and significant respiratory problems, but it may place this population of patients at greater risk of chronic pain and prescription opioid dependence.
Current protocols to manage and/or reduce VATS associated pain include combining the use of regional anesthesia techniques with opioid and non-opioid analgesics. Recent studies have investigated the efficacy of intercostal blocks using liposomal bupivacaine after thoracic surgery. However, these studies lacked an active comparator population of patients.
The study is designed as a prospective randomized study evaluating intercostal blocks using liposomal bupivacaine. The control population of patients will be treated with a paravertebral block using plain bupivacaine.
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Liposomal bupivacaine The patient will receive an intercostal nerve block by the surgeon in the operating room after anesthetic has been administered. The surgeon will use thoracoscopic guidance to administer the intercostal nerve block. The medication used in this block will liposomal bupivacaine (Exparel). |
Drug: Liposomal bupivacaine
Surgeons will perform an intercostal nerve block in the operating room under thoracoscopic guidance while the patient is asleep under anesthesia. This intervention (block) is one of the standards of care but the medication (liposomal bupivacaine) currently is not FDA approved for this type of block.
|
| Active Comparator: Bupivacaine The patient will receive a paravertebral block by the anesthesiologist staffing the pain service area within the hospital prior to surgery. This regional anesthesia will be done using ultrasound guidance. The medication used in this block will be plain bupivacaine with epinephrine. |
Drug: Bupivacaine
An anesthesiologist trained in regional anesthesia will perform a paravertebral block in the hospital's pain service unit. This intervention is standard of care and will use plain bupivacaine with epinephrine as the medication
|
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Measure post-operative acute pain scores [Up to 72 hours post procedure]
Using a numerical rating scale (0-10), patients will be asked to report their pain level. The scale is from 0 to 10 with 0 being no pain and 10 representing the most intense pain.
- Measure post-operative opioid usage [Up to 72 hours post procedure]
Review the subjects medical record to determine the type and amount of opioid medication that has been taken by the subject in the first 72 hours after surgery,
Secondary Outcome Measures
- Measure lung function [Up to 72 hours post procedure]
Using an incentive spirometer device, the amount of air volume inhaled and exhaled by the lungs post VATS procedure. The subject will be asked to do 3 attempts in succession and the number recorded will be the average of the 3 attempts. The air volume inhaled is measured on a scale from near 0 to 2500 milliliters with the low number indicating little air movement whereas 2500 milliliters indicates good air flow. These results will be compared to the volume determined at baseline prior to surgery.
- Measure post-operative opioid consumption following discharge from the hospital [Up to 6 months post procedure.]
Patients will be asked to keep a pain medication diary to record their use of opioid and non-opioid medications for pain control.
- Measure post-operative pain scores after discharge from the hospital [Up to 6 months post procedure.]
Using a numerical rating scale, patients will be asked to report their pain level. The scale is from 0 to 10 with 0 being no pain and 10 representing the most intense pain. The goal for measuring after acute hospitalization is to determine if the patient is experiencing the onset of chronic pain.
- Calculate length of hospital stay [Up to 7 days]
Record the number of days the patients in both arms are hospitalized post VATS procedure. Compare these values between the two groups.
- Record the return to normal bowel function [Up to 7 days]
The patient will be asked to report when normal bowel function has returned. It will provide clinicians information as to when other body functions have returned following surgery.
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
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Age over 18 years and less than 80 years
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Undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) procedure
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BMI less than 40
Exclusion Criteria:
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Unable to provide informed consent
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Non-English speaking
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Pregnant
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BMI greater than 40
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Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery pleurodesis subjects
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Patients with pre-existing chronic pain
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Opioid tolerance
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Pain syndromes including fibromyalgia, regional pain syndrome or post therapeutic neuralgia in a thoracic distribution
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Allergy to the study medication
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Patients with infectious disease
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Patients with impaired coagulation
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Severe hepatic disease
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Incarcerated
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Iowa | Iowa City | Iowa | United States | 52242 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- Rakesh Sondekoppam Vijayashankar
- American Society of Regional Anesthesia
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Yatish Ranganath, MD, University of Iowa
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Additional Information:
Publications
- Adhikary SD, Pruett A, Forero M, Thiruvenkatarajan V. Erector spinae plane block as an alternative to epidural analgesia for post-operative analgesia following video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: A case study and a literature review on the spread of local anaesthetic in the erector spinae plane. Indian J Anaesth. 2018 Jan;62(1):75-78. doi: 10.4103/ija.IJA_693_17.
- Bayman EO, Parekh KR, Keech J, Larson N, Vander Weg M, Brennan TJ. Preoperative Patient Expectations of Postoperative Pain Are Associated with Moderate to Severe Acute Pain After VATS. Pain Med. 2019 Mar 1;20(3):543-554. doi: 10.1093/pm/pny096.
- Bayman EO, Parekh KR, Keech J, Selte A, Brennan TJ. A Prospective Study of Chronic Pain after Thoracic Surgery. Anesthesiology. 2017 May;126(5):938-951. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000001576.
- Furrer M, Rechsteiner R, Eigenmann V, Signer C, Althaus U, Ris HB. Thoracotomy and thoracoscopy: postoperative pulmonary function, pain and chest wall complaints. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 1997 Jul;12(1):82-7.
- Khalil KG, Boutrous ML, Irani AD, Miller CC 3rd, Pawelek TR, Estrera AL, Safi HJ. Operative Intercostal Nerve Blocks With Long-Acting Bupivacaine Liposome for Pain Control After Thoracotomy. Ann Thorac Surg. 2015 Dec;100(6):2013-8. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2015.08.017. Epub 2015 Oct 24.
- Parascandola SA, Ibañez J, Keir G, Anderson J, Plankey M, Flynn D, Cody C, De Marchi L, Margolis M, Blair Marshall M. Liposomal bupivacaine versus bupivacaine/epinephrine after video-assisted thoracoscopic wedge resection†. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2017 Jun 1;24(6):925-930. doi: 10.1093/icvts/ivx044.
- Rice DC, Cata JP, Mena GE, Rodriguez-Restrepo A, Correa AM, Mehran RJ. Posterior Intercostal Nerve Block With Liposomal Bupivacaine: An Alternative to Thoracic Epidural Analgesia. Ann Thorac Surg. 2015 Jun;99(6):1953-60. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2015.02.074. Epub 2015 Apr 23.
- Shariat A, Bhatt H. Successful Use of Serratus Plane Block as Primary Anesthetic for Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS)-Assisted Pleural Effusion Drainage. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2018 Feb;32(1):e31-e32. doi: 10.1053/j.jvca.2017.10.038. Epub 2017 Oct 31.
- Steegers MA, Snik DM, Verhagen AF, van der Drift MA, Wilder-Smith OH. Only half of the chronic pain after thoracic surgery shows a neuropathic component. J Pain. 2008 Oct;9(10):955-61. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2008.05.009. Epub 2008 Jul 16.
- Steinthorsdottir KJ, Wildgaard L, Hansen HJ, Petersen RH, Wildgaard K. Regional analgesia for video-assisted thoracic surgery: a systematic review. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2014 Jun;45(6):959-66. doi: 10.1093/ejcts/ezt525. Epub 2013 Nov 27. Review.
- 201901777