Postoperative analgesia regimen
At the end of the surgical procedures, all patients will receive a bolus of piritramide 0.1–0.2 mg/kg and will be transferred to the postoperative ICU ward. Patients will be extubated when extubation criteria are reached (normothermic, fully awakened, spontaneously breathing, hemodynamically stable with moderate vasopressor support, etc.). After extubation, VAS will be recorded by trained medical staff members and then after 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 h. If VAS exceeds a value of 30 mm at any time, an administration of piritramide will be allowed. The time interval from completing the PECS II block until the first request for opioids (VAS > 30 mm) after extubation is defined as the duration of analgesia. Opioid consumption will be assessed as an intravenous morphine milligram equivalent (MME) dose.