oral diclofenac 75 mg, a 44-hour iv-infusion of diclofenac 150 mg/24h, intercostal nerve block with 20 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine, IV-PCA programmed with morphine boluses, from the 2nd postoperative morning the patients were given oral diclofenac 75 mg x 2, IV-PCA-morphine was discontinued after removal of pleural drains, and the patients were given oral oxycodone

oral valdecoxib 40 mg, a 44-hour iv-infusion parecoxib 80 mg/24h, intercostal nerve block with 20 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine, IV-PCA programmed with morphine, From the 2nd postoperative morning valdecoxib 40 mg x 2, IV-PCA-morphine was discontinued after removal of pleural drains, and the patients were given oral oxycodone

At the induction of anesthesia the PCEA-patients were given IV paracetamol 1g and an epidural loading dose of 1 ml/10 kg of 0.15% bupivacaine with fentanyl 6 µg/ml. Thereafter a continuous infusion was started at 1 ml/10 kg/h. In the PACU PCEA-patients could take incremental doses, IV paracetamol 1g x 4 for the first 24 hours and thereafter 1g x 3 orally, PCEA was discontinued and paracetamol was replaced with ibuprofen 600 mg x 3 and oral oxycodone

oral diclofenac 75 mg, a 44-hour iv-infusion of diclofenac 150 mg/24h, oral diclofenac 75 mg x 2, IV-PCA programmed with morphine boluses of 2-3 mg and a lock-out time of 5-15 minutes

The primary outcome when comparing the Intervention and Control groups was pain intensity 6 months after surgery.

consumption of PCA-morphine in groups 1 and 2

pain intensity while coughing during the first four postoperative days using VAS (visual analogue scale) 0-10 cm (0 = no pain and 10 = worst imaginable pain) or NRS in the PACU (numeric rating scale, 0-10)