New pain pump may cut morphine use after chest surgery

This study looked at a different way to manage pain after chest surgery (thoracotomy) for people who cannot get an epidural. A thin tube placed by the surgeon near the wound delivered either a numbing medicine (ropivacaine) or a saltwater placebo for 48 hours. All participants also received morphine through a patient-controlled pump. The goal was to see if the numbing medicine reduced the total amount of morphine needed. The study included 92 adults and was double-blind, meaning neither patients nor staff knew who got the active drug.