Influence of pre-peritoneal vs. epidural levobupivacaine infusion on troponin I and BNP as predictors of cardiac injury in cancer patients undergoing major upper abdominal operations: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Background
Cancer patients undergoing major noncardiac surgery are more likely to experience perioperative morbidity and mortality due to myocardial damage.
Methods
Comparative study enrolled 80 patients with upper abdominal malignancies subjected to major abdominal surgeries. Of them, seventy-two patients were eligible and randomly assigned into two groups; Epidural catheter group ( = 37), received thoracic epidural infusion of levobupivacaine, and pre-peritoneal catheter group ( = 35), received preperitoneal infusion of levobupivacaine postoperatively. Primary endpoint was pain severity by NRS immediately after recovery, at 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours. Secondary endpoints were: (1) Patient`s hemodynamics monitored for postoperative 48 hours. (2) Myocardial injury, confirmed by troponin I & BNP levels preoperatively and on postoperative day 1 and 2 (3) Time of first analgesic demand and total postoperative 48 h morphine consumption. (4) Cardiovascular side effects; hypotension, bradycardia & arrhythmia. (5) Morphine side effects; PONV
Results
NRS scores showed non-significant reduction at most study times between both groups with significant reduction in the ECI group at 6-, 12-, and 24-hour than other group. First analgesic demand was earlier in PCI group than ECI without significant difference, while total 48 h morphine consumption showed a significant reduction in ECI group than PCI group. Hemodynamics were comparable in both groups. Cardiac enzymes, Troponin I and BNP, showed non-significant differences over study time between both groups. Postoperative complications, PONV, were similar in both groups without any significance, but with more cases of hypotension and bradycardia in epidural group. No cases of myocardial injury or heart failure were reported.
Conclusions
Preperitoneal analgesia is an effective analgesic method comparable to epidural analgesia limiting the occurrence of major cardiovascular events in cancer patients undergoing major abdominal surgeries and can be utilized when epidural analgesia is not desired or forbidden.