Comparing Intrathecal Morphine and Epidural Analgesia for Pain Relief After Open Colon Cancer Surgery

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to compare two pain relief methods for adults undergoing open colorectal cancer surgery intrathecal morphine, a single spinal injection, and continuous epidural analgesia. It focuses on evaluating how well each method controls pain at rest and during movement after surgery, while also considering side effects, patient satisfaction, sleep quality, and recovery outcomes. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. The epidural group receives a catheter placed in the thoracic epidural space with a mixture of fentanyl and levobupivacaine continuously infused for 24 hours after surgery. The spinal group receives a single injection of preservative-free morphine into the lower spine. Both groups follow a standard multimodal pain management plan including additional medications as needed. Rescue treatments for nausea and severe itching are also provided. During the study, participants will be monitored closely with pain assessments at multiple time points up to 72 hours after surgery, along with evaluations of analgesic use, satisfaction, sleep quality, recovery speed, hospital stay length, and any side effects or complications. The main measure is pain intensity at rest 24 hours post-surgery. Follow-up includes observation of safety and recovery for up to 90 days after surgery.

Intrathecal Morphine Versus Epidural Analgesia for Open Colon Surgery