Exparel vs. Marcaine ESP Block for Post-cardiac Surgical Pain

• Status: Recruiting
• Trial end date: 2025-04-05
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The goal of this pilot study is to describe and compare Ultrasound-Guided Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) Blocks using Exparel® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) to Marcaine® (bupivacaine hydrochloride) for pain management and outcomes after cardiac surgeries.

• Phase: Phase 2/Phase 3
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
• Collaborator: Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc
• Treatments: Bupivacaine

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults (18 years-no upper age limit)

• Scheduled for mini thoracotomy (i.e. valve repair) or open sternotomy (i.e. bypass graft) at single academic medical center (in and out-patients).

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients will be excluded if they:

• Are currently on pain medication or pain regimen for chronic pain condition

• Convert to sternotomy (for thoracotomies)

• Require, upon intraoperative discovery and surgeon's decision, the need for an unplanned secondary procedure other than the originally scheduled index operation

• Undergo emergent surgery

• Are non-English speaking (The majority of the PI's patient population speak English. As a pilot study the investigators cannot afford to enroll non-English speaking subjects due to time, personnel, and financial constraints.)

• Mechanical circulatory support (MCS)

• Vasoactive medications

• Intubated

• Active infection

• Patients otherwise deemed ineligible for ESP block by the investigators due to safety concerns.