NSAIDs With Morphine-PCA Compared to Epidural Analgesia in Thoracotomy Pain

NSAID With IV-PCA Morphine is an Alternative to Thoracic Epidural Analgesia in Post-thoracotomy Pain

The investigators investigated whether a strictly controlled pain management with patients participating in a clinical study can attenuate persistence of post-thoracotomy pain. The investigators also wanted to find out whether NSAID + intravenous patient-controlled analgesia with morphine is an efficacious alternative to thoracic epidural analgesia.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients scheduled for elective thoracotomy for lung surgery

Exclusion Criteria:

• Contraindication to any of the study drugs or an epidural catheter,
• Significant liver, renal or cardiac disease
• Peptic ulcer
• Regular use of analgesics
• Re-thoracotomy, and the patient´s inability to understand the use of PCA/patient controlled thoracic epidural analgesia (PCEA).