Liposomal Bupivacaine Versus Plain Bupivacaine for Pain Control Following Congenital Cardiac Surgery.

Background: Pain control following cardiac surgery can be challenging, and inadequate pain control is associated with postoperative complications. Liposomal bupivacaine can improve postoperative pain control due to its prolonged duration compared with plain bupivacaine. However, there is a paucity of data regarding its efficacy in congenital cardiac surgery. The primary outcome was to compare opioid requirements between liposomal bupivacaine and plain bupivacaine for local infiltration in pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgical procedures via a median sternotomy approach. Secondary outcomes included antiemetic use, adjunct pain medication use, length of stay, and pain scores.

Methods: This single center retrospective study analyzed data from 2017 to 2022 involving patients who underwent congenital cardiac surgery via median sternotomy. Sixty-three patients who received liposomal bupivacaine were matched with 33 patients who received plain bupivacaine. Patient data were extracted from the electronic medical record and underwent statistical analysis using Wilcoxon, χ², and Fisher exact tests.

Results: There were no demographic differences between the two groups. Postoperative opioid use did not differ significantly between the liposomal bupivacaine and plain bupivacaine groups. The liposomal bupivacaine group had increased acetaminophen and antiemetic use, while the plain bupivacaine group had increased ketorolac use. Otherwise, there were no significant differences in secondary outcomes, including length of stay.

Conclusion: Liposomal bupivacaine may not offer any advantage over plain bupivacaine in congenital cardiac postoperative pain control.