Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39863465›Full record

Trial reportBritish journal of anaesthesia2025

Continuous serratus anterior block for sternotomy analgesia after cardiac surgery: a single-centre feasibility study.

Jonathan G Bailey, Ayman Hendy, Victor Neira, Edgar Chedrawy, Vishal Uppal

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in British journal of anaesthesia, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04648774 (Continuous Serratus Anterior Blockade for Sternotomy Analgesia Following Cardiac Surgery), which is not on this map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04648774 nacompletednot on this map

Continuous Serratus Anterior Blockade for Sternotomy Analgesia Following Cardiac Surgery: A Pilot Feasibility Study.

TypeinterventionalSponsorNova Scotia Health AuthorityRan2021 to 2023Enrolled50ConditionsPostoperative Pain, Opioid Use, Quality of LifeArmsSerratus anterior plane (SAP) block, Normal saline placebo
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Jonathan G BaileyDepartment of Anesthesia, Pain Management & Perioperative Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. Electronic address: jon.bailey@dal.ca.
Ayman HendyDepartment of Anesthesia, Pain Management & Perioperative Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Victor NeiraDepartment of Anesthesia, Pain Management & Perioperative Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Edgar ChedrawyDivision of Cardiac Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Vishal UppalDepartment of Anesthesia, Pain Management & Perioperative Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundModerate-to-severe pain is common after cardiac surgery, peaking during the first and second postoperative days. Several nerve blocks for sternotomy have been described; however, the optimal location for continuous catheters has not been established. This study assessed the feasibility of a larger trial evaluating the efficacy of serratus anterior plane (SAP) catheter analgesia for sternotomy pain.

methodsThis double-blinded trial included patients undergoing cardiac surgery via sternotomy. Bilateral SAP catheters were placed in all participants, and randomised to ropivacaine or placebo. We assessed feasibility based on predetermined endpoints: (1) average recruitment rate >4 per month; (2) protocol adherence rate >90%; (3) primary outcome measurement rate >90%; and (4) significant catheter-related adverse event rate ≤2%. The quality of recovery index (QoR-15) was compared using an independent t-test.

resultsOf 52 participants randomised, feasibility data were available for 50. A definitive study was deemed 'not feasible' in our standalone centre owing to a low recruitment rate (2.4 per month) and a high adverse event rate (pneumothorax rate 12%). There were no major protocol deviations but minor deviations in 12% of participants. Pain, opioid consumption, complications, and quality of recovery were not different between groups. Long-term pain at 3 months was low in both groups.

conclusionsA single-centre trial was deemed not feasible for our setting. With limited data, the quality of recovery was not different with ropivacaine dosing of bilateral SAP catheters for sternotomy pain. CLINICAL

trial registrationNCT04648774.

Indexed as

Cardiac Surgical ProceduresNerve BlockPostoperative PainSternotomyAgedAged, 80 and overAnalgesics, OpioidAnesthetics, LocalDouble-Blind MethodFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPain MeasurementRopivacaineAnalgesics, OpioidAnesthetics, LocalRopivacainecardiac surgerynerve blockregional anaesthesiaserratus anterior blocksternotomy

Identifiers

PMID39863465
PMCPMC11947598

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.