Algemeen Stedelijk Ziekenhuis

The present study aims to assess the difference in postoperative opioid consumption between patients who intraoperatively receive a pecto-intercostal facial block combined with opioid-free anesthesia versus a traditional opioid-based regimen for cardiac surgery. The literature on opioid-free anesthesia for cardiac surgery is minimal and solely consists of case reports and retrospective studies. Nevertheless, these reports show the feasibility of opioid-free anesthesia. The purpose of this study is to assess the opioid-sparing effect and efficacy of combining an opioid-free anesthetic regimen with a pecto-intercostal fascial plane block (PIFB) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
We hypothesize that opioid-free cardiac anesthesia with an intraoperative PIFB significantly reduces postoperative opioid consumption in comparison to a high-dose opioid intraoperative regimen.

Hearing-impaired children are at risk for a vestibular impairment, as the auditory and vestibular end organs are closely related. Although this can compromise a child's development on many levels, vestibular testing is not routinely performed in this vulnerable group. This project aims to give each congenitally hearing-impaired child in Flanders (Belgium) access to a basic vestibular screening at a young age and set an example for other regions worldwide.