Transversus thoracic muscle plane block for postoperative pain in pediatric cardiac surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized and observational studies

Pediatric patients undergoing open mid-sternum cardiac surgery can experience significant perioperative pain with poor analgesia[1, 2]. Adequate pain management is crucial for pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery as severe pain can result in devastating consequences such as pulmonary hypertensive crisis, tachyarrhythmia, hypertension, hypoxia, and increased morbidity and length of stay[3-6]. Currently, analgesia for pediatric cardiac surgery is still predominantly managed with opioids, with other alternative modalities such as regional/neuraxial analgesia and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs[7, 8].
Source: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Review Article Source Type: research