16.Welcome
Dear Colleagues,
The use of regional analgesia in cardiac surgery has evolved alongside significant changes in this subspecialty.
Traditional neuraxial techniques, such as intrathecal opioids and thoracic epidurals, have largely been replaced by peripheral nerve blocks, aligning with modern principles of enhanced recovery after surgery.
Despite endorsements from initiatives like Cardiac-ERAS® and more recently the PROSPECT guidelines, the implementation of regional analgesia in cardiac surgery remains limited.
Traditional neuraxial techniques, such as intrathecal opioids and thoracic epidurals, have largely been replaced by peripheral nerve blocks, aligning with modern principles of enhanced recovery after surgery.
Despite endorsements from initiatives like Cardiac-ERAS® and more recently the PROSPECT guidelines, the implementation of regional analgesia in cardiac surgery remains limited.
We are now seeking to understand the challenges and barriers that hinder its wider adoption, and how we can make this beneficial practice more accessible to a broader range of patients.
We sincerely appreciate your contribution to this important endeavour of fact-finding and improvement.
With heartfelt thanks,
Dr. Catalin Efrimescu - Mater Misericordiae Univ. Hosp., Ireland
Dr. Meghan Harbison - Mater Misericordiae Univ. Hosp., Ireland
Dr. Frances Fallon - Mater Misericordiae Univ. Hosp., Ireland
Dr. Emma Garry - Mater Misericordiae Univ. Hosp., Ireland
Prof Danny Hoogma - Univ. Hosp. Leuven, Belgium
Prof Steffen Rex - Univ. Hosp. Leuven, Belgium
Dr. Meghan Harbison - Mater Misericordiae Univ. Hosp., Ireland
Dr. Frances Fallon - Mater Misericordiae Univ. Hosp., Ireland
Dr. Emma Garry - Mater Misericordiae Univ. Hosp., Ireland
Prof Danny Hoogma - Univ. Hosp. Leuven, Belgium
Prof Steffen Rex - Univ. Hosp. Leuven, Belgium
Prof Thomas Volk - Saarland University Hospital, Germany
This study is supported by the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia (ESRA) and the Irish Society of Regional Anaesthesia (ISRA).