Intercostal nerve blockade for thoracic surgery with liposomal bupivacaine: the devil is in the details

Thoracotomy and minimally invasive video thoracoscopic surgery are the top two causes of short-term and chronic pain resulting from elective surgical procedures (1). Analgesia presents a substantial challenge in day to day practice for thoracic surgeons. Posterior intercostal nerve blocks (PINB) are one of several modalities to address this, and they can be quite effective for pain control.