Recto-intercostal Block for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Recto-intercostal Fascial Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting With Sternotomy: a Randomized, Double-blind, Controlled Study

This interventional study aims to learn about the postoperative analgesic efficacy of a new fascial plane block, recto-intercostal fascial plane block, at coronary artery bypass grafting with sternotomy. There will be two groups, one of which will be the control group, and the other will be the study group randomly receiving postoperative recto-intercostal fascial plane block.

The main questions it aims to answer are the effect of this new block on postoperative opioid consumption and pain scores. Also, postoperative outcomes related to respiratory ( postoperative oxygenation and atelectasis score), hemodynamic functions ( newly developed arrhythmias), total postanesthesia care unit stay, and hospital stay will be questioned.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Coronary Artery Disease; Sternotomy; Peripheral Nerve Blocks
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: The recto intercostal fascial plane block

Detailed Description

All patients will receive standard general anaesthesia under standard monitoring along with the bispectral index (Medtronic). Intubation will be performed by administering intravenous (IV) 0,03 mg/kg midazolam, propofol (Lipuro, Braun, max. 2 mg/kg according to BIS), two mcg/kg fentanyl (Talinat, VEM), 1 mg /kg rocuronium (Esmeron, Alessandroorsini) followed by 1 MAC sevoflurane (Sevorane, Abbott) in an air-oxygen mixture for maintenance of anaesthesia. Following anaesthesia induction, all participants will receive superficial parasternal intercostal plane block (SPIP) bilaterally along with 8 mg dexamethasone before surgical incision as part of multimodal analgesia by a single experienced regional anaesthesiologist (B.C.) under ultrasound guidance (Esaote MyLab ™ Seven). SPIPB will be performed using a high-frequency probe to visualize the pectointercostal fascial area at the intercostal level of the intercostal 3-4 level, and 20 ml %0,25 bupivacaine was injected bilaterally. After applying SPIPB, the surgery is set to begin after at least 15 minutes of block procedure. The intraoperative analgesic need will be supplied by fentanyl bolus doses as 50 mcq if necessary, as heart rate or systolic blood pressure increases by more than %15. According to randomization, the intervention group will receive RIFPB with 10 ml %0,25 bupivacaine.

From the beginning of acclaimed arousal till the 24th hour, rescue analgesia as tramadol 100 mg (maximum daily dose 400 mg) is applied if NRS is over four or with the patient's request. The routine analgesia regimen was 1 gram IV paracetamol 6th hourly postoperatively at the PACU. All patients were followed up from the extubation time till hospital discharge to evaluate respiratory and hemodynamic changes, possible complications and total postoperative time.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Sultangazi
    • Istanbul, Sultangazi, Turkey
      • Haseki Training and Research Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients who will undergo CABG surgery with sternotomy
• patients who have an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status classification of III to IV

Exclusion Criteria:

• refusal to participate
• a history of neurological deficits or neuropathy affecting the thoracal innervation
• infection at the site of block application
• allergy to local anesthetics
• epilepsy or treatment with antipsychotics
• abuse of alcohol or drugs
• previous surgery distorting the anatomy of the sternum, thorax or upper abdominal area
• severe organ dysfunction ( kidney, liver and other); patients who fail at weaning after 12 hours of surgery.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: The Control; The participants will have standardized anaesthesia management and receive postoperative rescue analgesia as morphine.
Experimental: The rectointercostal fascial plane block; The participants will receive postoperative recto intercostal fascial plane block, with 20 ml 0,25 bupivacaine bilaterally.	Procedure: The recto intercostal fascial plane block; After ensuring aseptic conditions, the high-frequency linear ultrasound probe was used to detect the rectus abdominis muscle and the 6-7th costal cartilage as described by Tulgar et al. After rotating and shifting the transducer, 6-7th costal cartilages, the rectus abdominis muscle, and intercostal muscles between the cartilages were confirmed. The primary investigator (B.C.) directed the needle tip caudad in the cephalic direction in-plainly, and 20 ml 0,25% bupivacaine was injected bilaterally into the plane between the costal cartilage and the rectus abdominis muscle following negative aspiration.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Total rescue analgesic	. From the beginning of acclaimed arousal till the 24th hour, rescue analgesia as tramadol 100 mg (maximum daily dose 400 mg) is applied if NRS over 4 or with the patient's request.	postoperative 24 hour

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
intraoperative opioid use	total amount of opioid use as fentanyl intraoperatively	intraoperative
intraoperative hemodynamic change	systolic blood pressure	at sternotomy
postoperative respiratory function	postoperative atelectasis score	postoperative 48 hour
postoperative arythmias	postoperative arythmias especially atrial fibrillation	postoperative 48 hour

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
total hospital stay	up to discharge postoperative	postoperative

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Haseki Training and Research Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Berna Caliskan, Haseki Training and Research Hospital Anesthesiology and Reanimation Department

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Tulgar S, Ciftci B, Ahiskalioglu A, Bilal B, Alver S, Sakul BU, Ansen G, Pence KB, Alici HA. Recto-intercostal fascial plane block: Another novel fascial plane block. J Clin Anesth. 2023 Oct;89:111163. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2023.111163. Epub 2023 Jun 7. No abstract available.
• Chen Y, Li Q, Liao Y, Wang X, Zhan MY, Li YY, Liu GJ, Xiao L. Preemptive deep parasternal intercostal plane block for perioperative analgesia in coronary artery bypass grafting with sternotomy: a randomized, observer-blind, controlled study. Ann Med. 2023;55(2):2302983. doi: 10.1080/07853890.2024.2302983. Epub 2024 Feb 20.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 1, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 26, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 13, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): May 16, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 17, 2025
• Last Verified: March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: coronary artery bypass grafting; Postoperative analgesia; Recto-intercostal fascial plane block; Parasternal intercostal plane block
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Heart Diseases; Arteriosclerosis; Arterial Occlusive Diseases; Coronary Disease; Myocardial Ischemia; Coronary Artery Disease
• Other Study ID Numbers: 272-2023

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No