Liposomal bupivacaine versus ropivacaine thoracic paravertebral block for thoracoscopic atrial septal defect repair: analgesic efficacy and cardiac biomarker outcomes in a single-center, assessor-blinded, randomized trial

Background

Thoracoscopic atrial septal defect (ASD) repair, although minimally invasive, can cause substantial postoperative pain. Thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) provides effective chest wall analgesia, and liposomal bupivacaine (LB), a long-acting local anesthetic with sustained release, may prolong analgesic duration. We investigated whether ultrasound-guided TPVB using long-acting LB improves postoperative analgesia without compromising cardiovascular safety compared with ropivacaine (RP).