[In Process Citation].

OBJECTIVE: The authors examined pain after thoracotomies in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Teaching Hospital Markusovszky and compared two analgetic methods.

PATIENTS AND METHOD: The study was conducted for a period of 10 months, they have processed 268 patients details whose chest were open. The patients were divided in 2 groups: one of them got fentanyl containing plaster which absorbs transdermal as well as intraoperatively applied intercostal bupivacain blockade. The other group got anaesthetic to their epidural space (EDA). On the day of surgery and for two postoperative days they measured the pain with VAS. Time between premedication and surgery, the medications given before and after the surgery, doses and time of administration were all noted. Cases with rib fractures occurring during surgery were followed separately, and the number of broken ribs and the name of the operating surgeon were noted, too.

RESULTS: The authors used linear regression and analysis of variance for the collected data. The results showed significant and close to significance relations. The dependent variables were the daily pain on day 0, 1, and 2. These data will be detailed later.

CONCLUSIONS: The authors concluded that skin patch containing fentanyl applied around the same time of surgery with intercostal bupivacain injection were effective for pain relief, which was practical for the patient and the nursing staff too. It can be an alternative for the EDA.