Role of cryoanalgesia in the control of XXXX after thoracotomy.

@entity1 @entity1576 @entity158 @entity284 @entity282
Thoracotomy causes severe @entity282 , which is difficult to manage since the use of systemic analgesics often causes @entity1576 . Cryoanalgesia of the intercostal nerves has been advocated as an effective means of local analgesia without serious side effects. A prospective randomised blind trial to investigate the efficacy of the technique was carried out. A total of 53 @entity1 undergoing thoracotomy were allocated to either the trial or a control group. At thoracotomy the surgeon was informed of the @entity1 's trial allocation. The trial group received one minute of direct cryotherapy to at least five intercostal nerves related to the incision. All @entity1 received @entity284 via the lumbar epidural route in a dose calculated according to their weight. A linear analogue assessment of @entity282 was made by the @entity1 as soon as they were sufficiently awake. An independent record of all postoperative analgesia was kept. After discharge from hospital further assessments were made at least six weeks after operation. Statistical analysis of the scores of @entity282 and analgesic consumption showed that there was no significant difference between the trial and the control group. There was, however, a suggestion of an increase in the long term morbidity, although these figures were not amenable to statistical analysis. Thus is has not been possible to demonstrate a role for cryoanalgesia in the control of post thoracotomy @entity158 .
