Intrathecal Analgesia for Gynecologic Oncology Surgery

Because the practice of anesthesia accommodates multimodal approaches to analgesia, it becomes clear that optimal methods require tailoring the approach to the type of surgical procedure. Surgery for gynecologic malignancies often require a midline laparotomy incision, which incurs a predictably high pain score. Bang and colleagues enrolled 68 adult patients between 19 and 70 years of age with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status classifications less than 3 undergoing these procedures. As this infographic shows, patients were randomized to either intrathecal morphine or a sham procedure. Patients in the former group had lower overall morphine consumption and better satisfaction. Further studies are required to optimize the role of intrathecal opiates for oncologic surgery. The reader is strongly encouraged to review the cited articles for an in-depth understanding of the concepts summarized in this infographic.