Presternal Magnesium With Bupivacain Versus Bupivacain Only for Postoperative Pain Relief in Open Heart Surgery

Effective pain relief after cardiac surgery has assumed importance with the introduction of fast track discharge protocols that requires early weaning from mechanical ventilation. Inadequate pain control reduces the capacity to cough, mobility, increases the frequency of atelectasis, and prolongs recovery. Infiltration of local anesthetics near the surgical wound has shown to improve early postoperative pain in various surgical procedures. Magnesium is the fourth most plentiful cation in our body. It has antinociceptive effects in animal and human models of pain.