Analgesia for major laparoscopic abdominal surgery using Intrathecal Morphine. A Feasibility Study.

Major abdominal surgery is a common procedure associated with significant postoperative pain and morbidity. The importance of high quality perioperative care is clear, and effective postoperative analgesia is fundamental to recovery. Intrathecal Morphine (ITM) is an increasingly popular analgesic option in major abdominal surgery and in laparascopic colorectal surgery, has been reported to reduce pain scores and total opioid consumption. In the context of a worldwide opioid epidemic, strategies to minimise opioid use whilst optimising patient comfort and functional recovery are priorities in the perioperative setting. We believe ITM will be superior to intravenous analgesia alone in terms of quality of recovery, cost saving and opioid-sparing in the context of similar or lower side effects. The results of this preliminary feasibility study will be used to design a large-scale phase III, multicentre trial with the objective of obtaining outcomes that will accurately inform clinical practice.