Intrapleural Ropivacaine Infusion in Cardiac Surgery

Launched by SAINT PETERSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY, RUSSIA · Aug 8, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a new way to manage pain after heart surgery. After surgery, many patients have small tubes called pleural drains placed in their chest to help with healing, but these drains can cause discomfort. This study will test whether using a local pain medicine called ropivacaine, delivered directly through these chest tubes, can help reduce pain better than a placebo (a treatment with no active medicine). The goal is to see if this approach helps patients recover more comfortably after their surgery without the side effects sometimes caused by stronger pain medicines like opioids.

People eligible to join this study are adults over 18 who are scheduled for heart surgery that involves opening the chest bone (called a sternotomy) and the lining around the lungs (the pleural cavities). Participants will need to agree to join the study by signing a consent form. Those who have certain health reasons that make using ropivacaine unsafe or who are having repeat heart surgery won’t be able to participate. If you take part, the study team will carefully monitor your pain and recovery, using either ropivacaine or a placebo through the chest drains, to see which helps you feel better during the critical days after surgery. This study is not yet recruiting patients but aims to find safer, more effective pain relief options for people having heart surgery.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Scheduled cardiac surgery using a standard median sternotomy.
• • Planned opening of the pleural cavities.
• • Age more than 18 years.
• • Signed informed consent to participate in the study.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Contraindications for ropivacaine
• • Redo surgery