Postoperative analgesia protocol
PONV, postoperative nausea and vomiting, pain
Propofol and remifentanil were discontinued at the end of the surgery, the double-lumen tracheal tubes were extubated when they met the criteria for tracheal tube removal, and then the patients were transferred to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). A patient-controlled intravenous anesthesia (PCIA) pump containing sufentanil 1 µg/ml and butorphanol 50 µg/ml was provided for all the patients at the end of the procedure. The PCIA pump was programmed to deliver a bolus amount of 2 mL and a background dose of 2.5 mL/h, as well as having a lockout period of 15 min. However, if the VAS score exceeded 3, a bolus injection of 2 µg sufentanil and 100 µg butorphanol was given through the PCIA to alleviate the pain with a 15-minute lockout period. However, if the VAS score remained above 3 after using the PCIA, the patients received flurbinprofen 8 mg as a rescue analgesic. The PCIA devices were removed 48 h after the surgery. Tropisetron 5 mg was used to treat postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV).