Retraction speed and chronic poststernotomy pain: A randomized controlled trial

Rachel Phelan; Dimitri Petsikas; Jessica Shelley; Wilma M Hopman; Deborah DuMerton; Monica Parry; Darrin Payne; Rene Allard; Michael Cummings; Joel L Parlow; Robert Tanzola; Louie T S Wang; Craig Stewart; Tarit K Saha

doi:10.1016/j.jtcvs.2023.11.037

Retraction speed and chronic poststernotomy pain: A randomized controlled trial

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2023 Nov 30:S0022-5223(23)01113-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2023.11.037. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
² Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
³ Kingston General Health Research Institute, Kingston Health Sciences Centre, Kingston, Ontario, Canada; Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
⁴ Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁵ School of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
⁶ Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: Tarit.saha@kingstonhsc.ca.

PMID: 38042399
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2023.11.037

Abstract

Objectives: Approximately 30% of patients develop chronic poststernotomy pain (CPSP) following cardiac surgery with sternal retraction. Risk factors have been described but no causal determinants identified. Investigators hypothesized that opening the sternum slowly would impart less force (and thereby less nerve/tissue damage) and translate to a reduced incidence of CPSP. The main objectives were to determine whether or not slower sternal retraction would reduce the incidence of CPSP and improve health-related quality of life.

Methods: Patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery were recruited to this randomized controlled trial. Patients were randomized to slow or standard retraction (ie, sternum opened over 15 minutes vs 30 seconds, respectively). Although the anesthesiologist and surgeon were aware of the randomization, the patients, assessors, and postoperative nursing staff remained blinded. Sternotomy pain and analgesics were measured in hospital. At 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively, all patients completed the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form and reported on CPSP and complications requiring rehospitalization. Thirty-day rehospitalizations and mortality were recorded.

Results: In total, 326 patients consented to participate and 313 were randomized to slow (n = 159) versus standard retraction (n = 154). No clinically relevant differences were detected in acute pain, analgesic consumption, or the incidence of CPSP or health-related quality of life. Although the slow group had significantly more hospitalizations at 3 and 12 months postoperatively, the reasons were unrelated to retraction speed. No differences were observed in 30-day rehospitalizations or mortality.

Conclusions: All outcomes were consistent with previous reports, but no clinically significant differences were observed with retraction speed.

Keywords: CABG; HRQoL; chronic poststernotomy pain; coronary artery bypass graft; health-related quality of life; pain; sternal retraction speed.