2026 Kosaka Top Basic Science Abstract Award Winner Interview: Tim Ting Han Jen, MD, MHSc, FRCPC

Analgesic Efficacy of Continuous Superficial Parasternal Intercostal Plane Blockade in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery with Median Sternotomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Driven by challenges encountered in clinical practice and a commitment to improve patient care, Tim Ting Han Jen, MD, MHSc, FRCPC, a clinical assistant professor and staff anesthesiologist at St. Paul’s Hospital at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, Canada, was motivated to investigate the optimization of postoperative pain management following cardiac surgery using regional analgesia. The research program at St. Paul’s Hospital, an academic tertiary care center with subspecialty expertise in regional anesthesia, cardiac anesthesia, and pain medicine, provided Dr. Jen the opportunity to pursue this topic through a randomized controlled trial. Particularly relevant in the context of the ongoing opioid crisis in North America and the growing adoption of enhanced recovery pathways after cardiac surgery globally, their study addresses whether continuous SPIP blockade, compared with single-injection, reduces acute sternal pain on coughing at 24 hours in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with median sternotomy. At the Kosaka Best Abstract Awards Session on Sunday, May 3 at the 2026 Annual Meeting, presented by IARS and SOCCA, the importance of Dr. Jen’s research, “Analgesic Efficacy of Continuous Superficial Parasternal Intercostal Plane Blockade in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery with Median Sternotomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” was recognized with the Kosaka Top Clinical Research Abstract Award. So far, their scientific exploration is offering objective evidence to help inform guideline recommendations on fascial plane blockade in this surgical population, and to inform institutional decisions about the utilization and safety trade-offs of catheter-based regional analgesic techniques after cardiac surgery. Below, Dr. Jen discusses how their research has developed over time, what presenting at the IARS Annual Meeting means to him and what’s next for this vital study.

1. For this research, you are…

Clinical Investigator (lead clinical investigator)

2. What inspired you to pursue this area of research, and how has your focus evolved over time?

I am a staff anesthesiologist at St. Paul’s Hospital at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada—an academic tertiary care center with subspecialty expertise in regional anesthesia, cardiac anesthesia, and pain medicine. Our research program is driven by the challenges encountered in clinical practice and by a commitment to improving patient care. This trial investigates the optimization of postoperative pain management following cardiac surgery using regional analgesia. This work is particularly relevant in the context of the ongoing opioid crisis in North America and the growing adoption of enhanced recovery pathways after cardiac surgery globally.

3. What key question or challenge does your current research aim to address?

Poststernotomy pain after cardiac surgery impacts patient recovery, affecting pulmonary rehabilitation, mobilization, sleep, and delirium. Societal guidelines recommend fascial plane blocks to reduce acute poststernotomy pain, and superficial parasternal intercostal plane (SPIP) blockade has been shown to be both safe and efficacious. However, single-injection technique is limited by its short duration, while severe poststernotomy pain often persists for two or more days. In theory, continuous blockade may be beneficial, but is associated with increased complexity, costs, and risks. There is limited evidence to inform optimal technique. Therefore, our study addresses whether continuous SPIP blockade, compared with single-injection, reduces acute sternal pain on coughing at 24 hours in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with median sternotomy. We chose the 24-hour time point because at this stage, pain is often rated as severe, while patients are expected to begin actively participating in rehabilitation.

4. What are the most important findings or insights from your work so far?

Continuous SPIP blockade did not demonstrate superiority over single-injection SPIP blockade in reducing acute sternal pain on coughing at 24 hours after cardiac surgery with full median sternotomy. No clinical benefits were observed across secondary outcomes, including pain trajectory, cumulative opioid consumption, postoperative nausea or vomiting, quality of recovery, or chronic sternal pain. This study does not support the routine use of continuous SPIP blockade after cardiac surgery.

5. How could your research, whether through direct clinical application or by advancing foundational knowledge, impact the field of anesthesiology and ultimately improve patient care?

This trial has several strengths, including quadruple blinding, a robust, prespecified statistical analysis plan, and an infusion regimen and catheter type informed by prior literature. This trial provides objective evidence to help inform guideline recommendations on fascial plane blockade in this surgical population, and to inform institutional decisions about the utilization and safety trade-offs of catheter-based regional analgesic techniques after cardiac surgery.

6. What does presenting in the Kosaka Best Abstract Awards Session and at the IARS Annual Meeting mean to you?

It is a tremendous privilege for me. The IARS Kosaka Best Abstract Award is one of the most prestigious international research competitions in anesthesiology. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to share our work with colleagues from around the world. Furthermore, connecting with researchers worldwide who share similar interests at the IARS Annual Meeting has been incredibly rewarding and enjoyable.

7. How do you feel about receiving the Kosaka Best Abstract Award, and what does this recognition mean for your work and career?

I am grateful and humbled to have received this award, especially given the outstanding and innovative research presented throughout the IARS meeting. This recognition is particularly meaningful to me as an early-career clinician-researcher, as it reinforces the importance and potential impact of our work. I hope this award will further support the development of my research program and enable the continued conduct of high-quality studies.

8. What are the next steps for your research, and how do you see this work evolving?

Our next research efforts include assessing the safety of regional anesthesia in cardiac surgical patients, investigating the impact of regional anesthesia techniques on postoperative arrhythmia generation, and understanding the lived experiences of patients with chronic poststernotomy pain.

9. Is there anyone you would like to acknowledge as part of this work?

We are grateful for the funding provided by the Canadian Anesthesia Research Foundation through the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society’s Dr. James Beckstead Award, as well as internal funding from the Department of Anesthesia at St. Paul’s Hospital. We are indebted to all supporting personnel in anesthesiology, nursing (Marianne LeSage, Hecel Peakman, Ann Gibb, Jennifer Mutch, Andrea Tolentino, Shelley Noorani, Oliver Driz, Julia Kokan, and all other nurses in the cardiac surgery intensive care unit and the cardiac surgery ward), the cardiac surgery intensive care unit, the cardiac surgery ward, cardiac surgery, the Acute Pain Service (Dr. Ainsley Sutherland and all other members), pharmacy (research pharmacist Mara Pavan and dispensary pharmacists), and the anesthesia research team. We are grateful for the statistical support from Mojtaba Ahmadiankalati and Daphne Goh. We acknowledge the contributions of Drs. Claire Moura and Alex Dotto in assisting with the study.

10. Outside of your research, what is something colleagues might be surprised to learn about you?

I am an enthusiastic pickleball player and always welcome pick-up games at future conferences.