Perioperative Pain Management Using Local and Regional Analgesia for Cardiothoracic Surgeries, Mastectomy, and Abdominal Surgeries in Adults and Children

- Research Gaps

Literature review shows insufficient research data that need further studies for:

-        There is a need for larger, high-quality randomized clinical trials that consistently measure meaningful outcomes related to perioperative pain management.

-        Studies that involve regional anesthesia and pain management interventions need to move beyond the immediate 24-h postoperative period.

-        For regional analgesic techniques for children undergoing cardiac surgery the sample sizes of the studies were typically small and when compared to adult studies and large multicenter trials are lacking.

-        Rigorous prospective studies with comparable methodologies are needed to provide objective criteria across large cohorts specific to median sternotomies and thoracotomies in the pediatric population.

-        A concerted effort by pediatric anesthesiologists to collate larger, multi-institutional data may yield the necessary outcomes to validate incorporating more fascial plane and peripheral nerve blocks into pediatric acute postsurgical management.