Cardiac surgery often induces acute postoperative pain and moreover chronic dysesthesia
frequently occur long-term after sternotomy. The high doses of intraoperative opioïds are
well known to enhance postoperative hyperalgesia (HA) and a perioperative local anesthetic
agent infusion is one of the therapeutic strategies used to limit this phenomena. The aim of
this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a continuous Ropivacaïne sternal infusion
compared with a saline serum infusion to limit postoperative HA, pain and morphine
consumption (M) after sternotomy in cardiac surgery.
This strategy could lead to lower postoperative morphine consumption and opioïd induced
hyperalgesia.