A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Study to Identify the Opioid-sparing Effects, and Pain-reduction Potential of Low Dose Ketamine on Patients Undergoing TEVAR Procedures Receiving NCI

Patients undergoing descending aortic repair often experience post-operative pain, and have high post operative opioid requirements. That pain is partially due to the use of naloxone continuous infusion (NCI). NCI is part of a bundled approach used in the first 48 hours post-operatively to prevent spinal cord ischemia, a devastating complication associated with surgical repair of the descending aortic. Data indicate that patients receiving NCI experience elevated post-operative pain scores and increased opioid requirements during the 48-hr post-operative NCI administration, compared to patient…