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Preoperative ropivacaine infiltration in breast surgery

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The aim of the study was to investigate whether preoperative infiltration with ropivacaine in conjunction with breast surgery improves postoperative pain management and attenuates postoperative nausea and vomiting. Prospective, randomised, double-blind study, including 60 healthy women (ASA 1-2) allocated to one of two groups. Thirty patients were given 0.3 ml/kg saline in the operating field before surgery. Another 30 patients received a similar volume of ropivacaine 3.75 mg/ml. A visual analogue scale (0-100 mm) was used for evaluation of postoperative pain, nausea and vomiting. If the score was more than 30 mm at rest, the patients were given ketobemidone i.v. as treatment for postoperative pain, and dixyrazine i.v. against nausea and vomiting. The intra-and postoperative analgesic requirements and postoperative nausea and vomiting were registered. The intraoperative fentanyl consumption was similar in the saline group 81 +/- 22 microg vs 76 +/- 28 microg; (ns) in the ropivacaine group. The postoperative 24-h ketobemidone consumption was also similar to those treated with ropivacaine (4.2 +/- 2.6 mg vs 4.2 +/- 4.3 mg; ns). Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) occurred with similar frequencies in both groups. The 24-h dixyrazine consumption was the same in the two groups (2.1 +/- 2.7 mg in the saline group compared to 2.4 +/- 2.8 mg in the ropivacaine group; ns). After 6 h recovery, 41% of all patients had experienced nausea and 20% vomiting. We found no differences in postoperative pain management between 3.75 mg/ml ropivacaine and saline wound infiltration before breast surgery. The data show similar postoperative needs of analgesics and antiemetics with a similar frequency of PONV.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 2000; 44: 1093–1098
Copyright CActa Anaesthesiol Scand 2000
Printed in Denmark. All rights reserved
ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA
ISSN 0001-5172
Preoperative ropivacaine infiltration in breast surgery
A
.
J
OHANSSON
1
,
J
.
A
XELSON
2
,
C
.
I
NGVAR
2
,
H
.-
H
.
L
UTTROPP
1
and J
.
L
UNDBERG
1
1
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, and
2
Department of Surgery, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate whether pre-
operative infiltration with ropivacaine in conjunction with
breast surgery improves postoperative pain management and
attenuates postoperative nausea and vomiting.
Method: Prospective, randomised, double-blind study, includ-
ing 60 healthy women (ASA 1–2) allocated to one of two groups.
Thirty patients were given 0.3 ml/kg saline in the operating
field before surgery. Another 30 patients received a similar vol-
ume of ropivacaine 3.75 mg/ml. A visual analogue scale (0–100
mm) was used for evaluation of postoperative pain, nausea and
vomiting. If the score was more than 30 mm at rest, the patients
were given ketobemidone i.v. as treatment for postoperative
pain, and dixyrazine i.v. against nausea and vomiting. The intra-
and postoperative analgesic requirements and postoperative
nausea and vomiting were registered.
Results: The intraoperative fentanyl consumption was similar
in the saline group 8122 mgvs7628 mg; (ns) in the ropiva-
caine group. The postoperative 24-h ketobemidone consumption
was also similar to those treated with ropivacaine (4.22.6 mg
S
INCE OPIOIDS
produce a number of dose-dependent
adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting and se-
dation (1), alternative analgesic regimes in the peri-
and postoperative periods may reduce unwanted side
effects. Administration of local anaesthetics in the sur-
gical wound is a simple and attractive technique to
improve postoperative pain relief. However, contro-
versy exists regarding the efficacy of this technique
(2–5). Preoperative wound infiltration may reduce
postoperative pain more than postoperative infil-
tration after hernia repair in children (6), while no
such effect is observed with preincisional infiltration
after cholecystectomy (7).
Previous studies regarding preoperative infiltration
with local anaesthetics have not focused on the effects
on postoperative nausea and vomiting. Ropivacaine is
a long-acting local anaesthetic that is structurally re-
lated to bupivacaine. Recent data show that ropiva-
caine produces fewer central nervous system and car-
diovascular side effects compared to bupivacaine (8).
Therefore, it seems appropriate to utilise ropivacaine
as a local anaesthetic agent for wound infiltration.
1093
vs 4.24.3 mg; ns). Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV)
occurred with similar frequencies in both groups. The 24-h dixy-
razine consumption was the same in the two groups (2.12.7
mg in the saline group compared to 2.42.8 mg in the ropiva-
caine group; ns). After6hrecovery, 41% of all patients had
experienced nausea and 20% vomiting.
Conclusion: We found no differences in postoperative pain
management between 3.75 mg/ml ropivacaine and saline
wound infiltration before breast surgery. The data show similar
postoperative needs of analgesics and antiemetics with a similar
frequency of PONV.
Received 28 September 1999, accepted for publication 3 April 2000
Key words: Anesthesia, wound infiltration; local anesthetics,
ropivacaine; main measures, postoperative: pain, nausea and
vomiting; surgery, breast; nursing, pain, nausea and vomiting.
cActa Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica 44 (2000)
Our hypothesis was that infiltration with local anaes-
thetics would reduce the pain experience and need of
opioids, leading to a lower incidence of postoperative
nausea and vomiting.
The aim of this study was to evaluate whether pre-
operative wound infiltration with ropivacaine im-
proved peri- and postoperative pain management, re-
duced the amount of opioid analgesics and attenuated
nausea and vomiting following breast surgery.
Methods
Sixty healthy women (ASA 1–2), scheduled for partial
mastectomy alone or in combination with axillary dis-
section, were studied after approval by the local ethics
committee and obtaining informed consent from each
patient. Exclusion criteria were a history of pre-
existing nausea and vomiting or administration of
drugs with antiemetic properties prior to surgery. The
patients were randomly assigned in a double-blind
fashion to one of two treatments using the closed en-
velope method. The randomisation resulted in 30 pa-
A. Johansson et al.
Table 1
Demographic data and intraoperative fentanyl consumption in pa-
tients undergoing elective breast surgery with general anaesthesia
and preoperative infiltration with either ropivacaine 0.375% or NaCl
0.9%.
Ropivacaine NaCl
Group (n30) (n29)
Age (yr) 5411 559
Height (cm) 1651 1651
Weight (kg) 682672
ASA (1/2) 18/12 15/14
Duration of anaesthesia (min) 1157 1267
Duration of surgery (min) 797856
Surgical procedure (n)
Partial mastectomy 14 15
Partial mastectomy with axillary 16 14
dissection
Peroperative fentanyl (mg) 7628 8122
Patients receiving extra fentanyl (n) 5 9
Values are shown as meanSD. There were no statistical differ-
ences between the groups.
tients assigned to each treatment. One group received
0.3 ml/kg saline in the breast and 0.3 ml/kg saline
in the axilla before surgery. The other group instead
received the same volumes of ropivacaine 3.75 mg/
ml (0.75% Narop
A
, Astra, mixed with saline).
All patients were premedicated with midazolam 5–
7.5 mg rectally 30 min before induction. Intravenous
fluid therapy consisted of 0.5 ml/kg ¡non per os hours
before anaesthesia and maintenance with 150 ml/h of
2.5% buffered glucose. Monitoring included ECG,
pulse-oximetry and non-invasive blood pressure. Gen-
eral anaesthesia was induced with intravenous glyco-
pyrrolate 0.2 mg, fentanyl 0.5 mg/kg, and propofol 2–
2.5 mg/kg before inserting the laryngeal mask airway.
Subsequently paracetamol 1g was given rectally. An-
aesthesia was maintained with fentanyl 0.5 mg/kg im-
mediately before skin incision, O
2
/N
2
O (40:60) and
sevoflurane with an end-tidal concentration of 0.7
MAC. All patients maintained spontaneous breathing
in a circle system with a carbon dioxide absorber. The
fresh gas flow was set at 1 l. An additional dose of fen-
tanyl 0.5 mg/kg was given if the systolic blood pressure
increased above the baseline level assessed at rest dur-
ing the preoperative evaluation.
Five senior surgeons were involved in the study
and thoroughly instructed by A.J. about the infil-
tration technique. When the patient was asleep and
after marking the surgical incision, the subcutaneous
tissue was infiltrated. During the procedure, the sur-
geons infiltrated the breast and axilla, with the pur-
pose to operate in pre-infiltrated tissues. Except for
the surgical scrub nurse, who prepared the study
1094
drug, no one involved in the patient care knew
whether saline or ropivacaine was used.
The visual analgue scale (VAS) scores for postopera-
tive pain and postoperative nausea and vomiting
(PONV) were recorded at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 18 and
24 h in the postoperative care unit. Entering the recov-
ery room was considered as time zero. The nursing
staff in the recovery room used a 100 mm horizontal
VAS(0mmno pain/nausea to the left and 100 mm
worst pain/nausea to the right). The patients were
asked to evaluate the degree of pain/nausea during
the assessment. If VAS for pain or PONV was more
than 30 mm at rest, the nurse administered i.v. keto-
bemidone in 1 mg doses and i.v. dixyrazine in 2 mg
doses as postoperative analgesia and PONV treat-
ment, respectively.
When arriving at the postsurgical ward patients
were given oral dextropropoxyphene 100 mg for pain
treatment, repeated every 6 h if necessary. Nausea and
vomiting were treated with metoclopramide 20 mg
rectally as required.
A power analysis revealed that a study population
of 60 patients was needed to reach the 0.05 signifi-
cance level. An average standard deviation (SD) of ap-
proximately 20 mm and an intergroup difference in
VAS scoring of 15 mm would reach a power of ap-
proximately 0.85 (9).
The results are expressed as meanSD. Data were
analysed using repeated measures analysis of vari-
ance followed by pairwise comparisons of contrasts
and Fisher’s exact test. P0.05 was considered statisti-
cally significant.
Table 2
Emetic symptoms and need for ketobemidone and/or dixyrazine in
59 patients after breast surgery in ropivacaine and NaCl treated pa-
tients.
Ropivacaine NaCl
Group (n30) (n29)
PONV (%)
No symptoms 57 62
Nausea 43 38
Vomiting 13 28
Patients needing ketobemidone (%)
0–2 h 77 83
2–4 h 13 10
4–6 h 3 0
Patients needing dixyrazine (%)
0–2 h 40 41
2–4 h 7 10
4–6 h 7 3
The frequencies of symptoms and medication were not statistically
different between the two groups.
Preoperative ropivacaine infiltration
Fig. 1. Pain at rest after breast surgery measured by using a 100 mm
VAS scale (0no pain to 100severe pain) at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12,
18 and 24 h postoperatively. MeanSD.
Fig. 2. The postoperative ketobemidone requirements during the first,
second and third 2-h period postoperatively. MeanSD.
Results
One patient in the saline group was excluded from
the study due to an altered surgical procedure. Demo-
graphic data, duration of anaesthesia and surgery, and
intraoperative fentanyl administration are shown in
Table 1. The fentanyl consumption was similar in the
two groups, 8122 mg in the saline group versus
7628 mg in the ropivacaine group (ns). Fourteen pa-
tients (24%) needed extra fentanyl doses according to
the algorithm (9 vs 5 patients in the saline/ropiva-
caine group, respectively; ns).
There were no differences in postoperative anal-
gesic requirements during the first, second and third
2-h period postoperatively (Table 2 and Fig. 2; ns). The
VAS pain scores at rest in the two groups decreased
over the 24-h study period (Fig. 1). The 24-h ketobem-
idone utilisation in the saline group (4.22.6 mg) was
1095
not different compared to the ropivacaine group
(4.24.3 mg) (ns). There were no differences in post-
operative antiemetic requirements during the first,
second and third 2-h period postoperatively (Table 2
and Fig. 3; ns). The postoperative 24-h dixyrazine con-
sumption was also similar in both groups (2.12.7 mg
vs 2.42.8 mg; ns).
Postoperative nausea and vomiting occurred with a
similar frequency in both groups (Tables 2 and 3).
After 6 h, 41% of all patients had experienced nausea
and 20% vomiting. Following 6 h postoperative care,
100 mg dextropropoxyphene alone was adequate for
pain relief in all patients. No patient needed metoclo-
pramide for nausea treatment. There were no adverse
drug effects during the infiltration of ropivacaine and
the surgeons experienced no technical difficulties due
to the infiltrated volume. Besides PONV there were
no opioid related side effects in the postoperative
period and no patient needed rescue medication.
Table 3
The number of patients and distribution over time of postoperative
nausea in relation to VAS scoring (ropivacaine/saline).
VAS0mm VAS30 mm VAS50 mm
0 h 7/4 4/2 2/1
1 h 6/7 3/2 1/2
2 h 4/4 0/1 0/1
3 h 4/1 2/1 1/1
4 h 3/2 3/1 2/1
5 h 1/3 1/2 0/1
6 h 2/3 1/1 0/0
12 h 0/0 0/0 0/0
18 h 0/0 0/0 0/0
24 h 0/0 0/0 0/0
There was no overall significant difference between treatment groups
regarding the frequency of nausea.
Fig. 3. The postoperative dixyrazine requirements during the first, sec-
ond and third 2-h period postoperatively. MeanSD.
A. Johansson et al.
Discussion
This study indicates no differences in postoperative
pain management between ropivacaine and saline
wound infiltration before breast surgery. We found
similar intra- and postoperative needs of analgesics,
antiemetics and frequency of PONV. Our findings are
consistent with previous studies that failed to demon-
strate an opioid sparing effect of wound infiltration
with local anaesthetics following cholecystectomy (7)
and caesarean section (10).
Breast surgery is normally associated with a high
incidence of postoperative pain and PONV. It has
been shown that 48–87% of patients undergoing mi-
nor breast surgery, mastectomy and breast reconstruc-
tion suffer from PONV (11–15). Troublesome pain and
PONV can prolong recovery and hospitalisation, and
are some of the most common causes of hospital ad-
mission following ambulatory surgery (16). Accord-
ingly, it is of great value for both patients and health
care providers to reduce pain and minimise PONV.
Many factors may influence PONV including gender,
obesity, surgical procedure, anaesthetic agents and
postoperative pain (17). Postoperative opioid con-
sumption and/or a history of motion sickness have
been identified as important factors that predict post-
operative sickness (18, 19). However, the pre- and in-
traoperative use of opiates may also induce PONV
(20).
Ropivacaine is a recently introduced local anaes-
thetic less prone to elicit adverse effects from the CNS
and the circulatory system, and with a long duration
(21). Although previous studies have failed to demon-
strate analgesic effects of wound infiltration with local
anaesthetic solutions following abdominal surgery
(22), the treatment seems to be more efficient when
used during minor surgical procedures such as ingui-
nal hernia repair (23). Whether the infiltration should
be performed before or after surgery has been a mat-
ter of debate. During abdominal hysterectomy, both
pre- and postincision infiltration with bupivacaine
0.5% failed to alter the postoperative pain response
(24). Neither did preincisional ropivacaine infiltration
reduce long-term pain following laparotomy (25).
However, experimental studies have demonstrated
that noxious stimuli in peripheral tissue without
nerve block can influence electrophysiological
changes in the dorsal horns of the medulla and inten-
sify the pain response (26).
In the present study variables influencing PONV,
such as demographic data, type of surgery, anaes-
thetics and analgesics, did not differ between the
groups. Patients with a history of motion sickness
1096
were not included in the study with the aim that
PONV was related solely to the postoperative pain
intensity and the agents administered perioperatively.
We utilised the visual analogue scale both for pain
and PONV at a given time point. This assessment
technique for pain and PONV has demonstrated simi-
lar results compared with other measurement tech-
niques (27).
We found no differences in the pain management
or incidence of PONV between the groups. Thus, both
treatments are likely to be ineffective, or theoretically
both techniques have analgesic properties. One possi-
bility could be that intracutaneous saline preinfil-
tration may attenuate pain by blocking the release of
sensory mediators at the periphery. A dilution of loc-
ally released mediators with saline may interfere with
the action of prostaglandins and thereby attenuate the
cyclooxygenase-2 isoenzyme that is activated after
trauma and inflammation (28, 29).
Our results must be interpreted with caution since
the difference in infiltration technique, general anaes-
thesia, surgical technique and postoperative care
make it difficult to determine what role the infiltration
agents might have had in comparison to other studies.
It can be argued that we included patients with two
different surgical procedures and that the study de-
sign did not differ between postoperative pain from
the breast wound and the axillary dissection. The vol-
ume administration in the axilla was similar to the
breast, and the number of patients in each category
was similar. We believe that this minimised the influ-
ence on pain and pain treatment due to the two types
of surgery. The intraoperative administration of fen-
tanyl and paracetamol may have influenced the re-
sponse to pain, but in our opinion the total amount of
fentanyl was low in combination with 1.3 MAC vol-
atile agents. Only 24% of the patients needed extra
fentanyl during the procedure, and the total intra-
operative fentanyl consumption, pain scores, PONV
scores, and postoperative antiemetics and analgesics
were identical in both groups.
We were unable to detect a benefical analgesic or
antiemetic effect of ropivacaine compared to saline.
However, in contrast to Oddy-Muhrbeck et al., who
found that a majority of emetic symptoms occurred
after leaving the postoperative unit (11), we observed
the highest frequency of nausea during the first two
postoperative hours. The low pain scores and the low
fentanyl and ketobemidone utilisation may also reflect
the rapidly decreasing PONV over time. Since the over-
all frequency of PONV was lower than previously re-
ported, a larger sample of patients may have shown a
difference in PONV between the groups.
Preoperative ropivacaine infiltration
Another explanation for the lack of analgesic differ-
ence between the groups may have been that the in-
filtration with ropivacaine did not adequately block
the afferent neuronal input. Mulroy et al. concluded
that both ropivacaine 0.25% and 0.5% are adequate for
pain relief after outpatient hernia repair (30). We
chose 3.75 mg/ml ropivacaine for breast surgery, but
it is possible that a higher concentration of ropiva-
caine might have improved analgesia. The infiltration
technique used in this study may have influenced the
results, since we used preoperative infiltration. Per-
haps it is better to inject the local anaesthetic at the
end of the operation, since the tissue removal during
surgery will reduce the amount of local anaesthetic
available for postoperative pain relief. Apart from the
study design, five different surgeons performed the
surgical procedure. However, the individual sur-
geon’s experience of local infiltration was developed
during surgical procedures preceding the study. No
data show any difficulty during the surgical pro-
cedures, and based on our demographic data and re-
sults, the surgeon’s influence on the results seems to
be of minor importance.
The results of our study show that recovery from
uncomplicated breast surgery is rapid regarding post-
operative pain. The pain scoring shows the highest
ratings immediately upon arrival at the recovery
room, and with similar rates of early-onset nausea
and vomiting. The use of local anaesthetics may have
an impact on PONV. To further clarify this effect, we
have instituted a study with a placebo group without
utilising saline for wound infiltration.
In conclusion, we found no effect of ropivacaine
compared with saline infiltration. Our data indicate
that ropivacaine and saline wound infiltration re-
sulted in similar intra- and postoperative needs for
analgesics and antiemetics, and similar frequency of
PONV.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Professor Dag Lundberg for valuable
discussions, and Lena Nordin Linderqvist, CRNA, and Lena
Svensson, RN, for invaluable help during the study.
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Address:
Anders Johansson, CCRN, CRNA
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care
Lund University Hospital
S-221 85 Lund
Sweden
e-mail: 046250952/telia.com
... In 2008, Baundray et al. promoted a study in which they analyzed the efficiency of local wound infiltration using Ropivacaine post-MRM and sectorectomy with axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), a study in which they obtained a set of statistically insignificant parameters when comparing the study groups in terms of postoperative pain management [21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. Two other studies published in 2000 and 2003 by Johansson et al., which also focused on analyzing the efficiency of post-surgery pain management through local wound infiltration using Ropivacaine for patients who had sectorectomy with or without ALND, obtained similar results that were statistically insignificant in favor of wound infiltration [28][29][30][31][32]. In 2004, Talbot et al. published a study in which they analyzed the efficiency of local instillation for postoperative pain management for patients who had an MRM, using Bupivacaine 0.5% mixed with 20 mL saline solution [33]. ...
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(1) Background: The present study aims to evaluate the reduction of postoperative pain in breast surgery using a series of local analgesics, which were infiltrated into the wound; (2) Methods: Envelopes containing allocation were prepared prior to the study. The patients involved were randomly assigned to the groups of local anesthesia infiltration (Group A) or normal pain management with intravenous analgesics (Group B). The random allocation sequence was generated using computer-generated random numbers. The normally distributed continuous data were expressed as the means (SD) and were assessed using the analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent-sample t-test, or paired t-test; (3) Results: The development of the postoperative pain stages was recorded using the VAS score. Therefore, for Group A, the following results were obtained: the VAS at 6 h postoperatively showed an average value of 0.63 and a maximum value of 3. The results for Group B were the following: the VAS score at 6 h postoperatively showed an average value of 4.92, a maximum of 8, and a minimum of 2; (4) Conclusions: We can confirm that there are favorable statistical indicators regarding the postoperative pain management process during the first 24–38 h after a surgical intervention for breast cancer using local infiltration of anesthetics.
... Unfortunately, there is little data from high-quality randomized clinical trials that support reliable effective analgesia (18). A larger number of RKS failed to find a statistically significant analgesic benefit (19,20,(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33), while a smaller number of others found a minimal reduction in pain outcomes that reached statistical significance in just a few postoperative hours (28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33). Wound infiltration did not show a significant effect on opioid use or on the side effects associated with them. ...
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Aesthetic breast surgery is the most common body surgery at Bagatin Polyclinic. During 2020 and 2021, altogether 274 cosmetic surgeries were performed on the breasts. This included breast augmentation, breast augmentation and lifting operations, in a ratio of 2 to 1.According to statistics from the American Association of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), in 2020 breast augmentation with implants was ranked fifth of all cosmetic surgeries performedand the second largest body surgery immediately after liposuction, with 193,073 procedures done. In addition to these procedures, breast augmentation (87,051) and breast reduction (33,574) procedures were also popular. Due to the increased interestin these procedures and their high daily percentage of operating programs, adequate analgesia and recovery of patients, who undergo these cosmetic breast corrections, areimportant. Today, it is no longer enough for an operation to go well and the patients to have good results. It is also important that the procedure itself, from induction of anesthesia to early and late recovery, allows for a quick return to daily activities and work.
... However, in this study, we chose to perform local infiltration anesthesia of the two drainage exit sites with ropivacaine, based on the evidence that pain caused by the drainage plays a vital role in postoperative pain. Five of the above mentioned trials [12][13][14][15][16] showed no differences between the control and experimental groups, in which Baudry et al.'s studies [12] enrolled patients who received breast-conserving surgery with or without ALND. However, the postoperative pain of different types of surgical technique remained different. ...
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Background: Postoperative pain after breast cancer surgery remains a major challenge in patient care. Local infiltration analgesia is a standard analgesic technique used for pain relief after surgery. Its application in patients who underwent mastectomy requires more clear elucidation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ropivacaine infiltration of drainage exit site in ameliorating the postoperative pain after mastectomy. Methods: A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted in 74 patients who were scheduled for unilateral mastectomy by standardized general anesthesia. Both intervention group and control group were given infiltration of the two entry points of drainage catheters with 10 ml 0.5% ropivacaine (Group A) (n = 37) or 10 ml normal saline (Group B) (n = 37). Pain scores were recorded in post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), at 6 h, 12 h, 24 h and 36 h after operation by using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) incidence, postoperative analgesic and antiemetic requirements, the incidence of chronic pain, as well as the quality of recovery were recorded. Results: The patients in Group A showed a significant reduction in postoperative pain in PACU (p < 0.0005), at 6 h (p < 0.0005), 12 h (p < 0.0005), and 24 h after surgery (p < 0.05) when compared to those in Group B. There were more postoperative analgesic requirements in Group B (p < 0.05). With regard to the quality of recovery, Group A was shown to be much superior over Group B (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Ropivacaine infiltration of the two drainage exit sites decreased the degree of postoperative acute pain after mastectomy, and this approach improved patients' quality of recovery. Trial registration: retrospectively registered in Chictr.org.cn registry system on 24 February 2020 ( ChiCTR2000030139 ).
... These results are totally contradicting ours. 21,22 We attributed this discrepancy to the smaller sample size in the mentioned studies in addition to the different studied population. Both studies included patients with partial mastectomy-not MRM-with/without ALND. ...
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Background: This study is a controlled prospective randomized blinded study. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of wound installation with bupivacanie through surgical drains to control postoperative pain and decrease the use of systemic analgesics after mastectomy.Methods: This study was conducted on 168 female patients candidates for modified radical mastectomy admitted to the Surgical Oncology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria. Patients were randomly divided into two equal groups. Group A Bupivacaine was installed through axillary and chest wall drains by the end of surgery. While, group B was installed by equal amount of normal saline as placebo. We assessed the visual analogue score (VAS), need and timing for systemic analgesics during the first 24 hours.Results: The mean values for VAS were always lower in group A. This was reflected on the timing and need for additional analgesia.Conclusions: We concluded from this study that using bupivacaine instillation through surgical drains is an effective and easy method to control post mastectomy pain and enhance patients' recovery in the first 24 hours postoperative.
Article
This study aimed to evaluate the evidence available in the literature about the perioperative care provided to women submitted to mastectomy. An integrative review of scientific literature conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, LILACS, and SciELO databases, published from 2000 to 2011, using the controlled descriptors: preoperative care; preoperative period; intraoperative care; intraoperative period; postoperative care; postoperative period; perioperative care; perioperative period; and mastectomy. The sample of this review consisted of seven articles. The evidence pointed as perioperative care of mastectomy the pharmacological management of pain in different surgical periods. Despite the difficulty in presenting a consensus of evidence for perioperative care of mastectomy, there was concern on the part of professionals to minimize/prevent pre-, intra- and post-operative pain. Nursing should be aware, both of the update of pharmacological treatments in pain management and the development of future research related to nursing care in the perioperative period of mastectomy.
Article
Background: The optimal regional technique to control pain after breast cancer surgery remains unclear. We sought to synthesize available data from randomized controlled trials comparing pain-related outcomes following various regional techniques for major oncologic breast surgery. Methods: In a systematic review and network meta-analysis, we searched trials in PubMed, Embase Scopus, Medline, Cochrane Central and Google Scholar, from inception to 31 July 2020, for commonly used regional techniques. The primary outcome was the 24-hr resting pain score measured on a numerical rating score of 0-10. We used surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) to establish the probability of an intervention ranking highest. The analysis was performed using the Bayesian random effects model, and effect sizes are reported as 95% credible interval (Crl). We conducted cluster-rank analysis by combining 24-hr pain ranking with 24-hr opioid use or incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Results: Seventy-nine randomized controlled trials containing 11 different interventions in 5,686 patients were included. The SUCRA values of the interventions for 24-hr resting pain score were continuous paravertebral block (0.83), serratus anterior plane block (0.76), continuous wound infusion (0.76), single-level paravertebral block (0.68), erector spinae plane block (0.59), modified pectoral block (0.49), intercostal block (0.45), multilevel paravertebral block (0.41), wound infiltration (0.33), no intervention (0.12), and placebo (0.08). When compared with placebo, the continuous paravertebral block (mean difference, 1.26; 95% Crl, 0.43 to 2.12) and serratus anterior plane block (mean difference, 1.12; 95% Crl, 0.32 to 1.9) had the highest estimated probability of decreasing 24-hr resting pain scores. Cluster ranking analysis combining 24-hr resting pain scores and opioid use showed that most regional analgesia techniques were more effective than no intervention or placebo. Nevertheless, wound infiltration and continuous wound infusion may be the least effective active interventions for reducing postoperative nausea and vomiting. Conclusion: Continuous paravertebral block and serratus anterior plane block had a high probability of reducing pain at 24 hr after major oncologic breast surgery. The certainty of evidence was moderate to very low. Future studies should compare different regional anesthesia techniques, including surgeon-administered techniques such as wound infiltration or catheters. Trials comparing active intervention with placebo are unlikely to change clinical practice. Study registration: PROSPERO (CRD42020198244); registered 19 October 2020.
Article
Study objective Moderate to severe postoperative pain occurs in up to 60% of women following breast operations. Our aim was to perform a network meta-analysis and systematic review to compare the efficacy and side effects of different analgesic strategies in breast surgery. Design Systematic review and network meta-analysis. Setting Operating room, postoperative recovery room and ward. Patients Patients scheduled for breast surgery under general anesthesia. Interventions Following an extensive search of electronic databases, those who received any of the following interventions, control, local anesthetic (LA) infiltration, erector spinae plane (ESP) block, pectoralis nerve (PECS) block, paravertebral block (PVB) or serratus plane block (SPB), were included. Exclusion criteria were met if the regional anesthesia modality was not ultrasound-guided. Network plots were constructed and network league tables were produced. Measurements Co-primary outcomes were the pain at rest at 0–2 h and 8–12 h. Secondary outcomes were those related to analgesia, side effects and functional status. Main results In all, 66 trials met our inclusion criteria. No differences were demonstrated between control and LA infiltration in regard to the co-primary outcomes, pain at rest at 0–2 and 8–12 h. The quality of evidence was moderate in view of the serious imprecision. With respect to pain at rest at 8–12 h, ESP block, PECS block and PVB were found to be superior to control or LA infiltration. No differences were revealed between control and LA infiltration for outcomes related to analgesia and side effects, and few differences were shown between the various regional anesthesia techniques. Conclusions In breast surgery, regional anesthesia modalities were preferable from an analgesic perspective to control or LA infiltration, with a clinically significant decrease in pain score and cumulative opioid consumption, and limited differences were present between regional anesthetic techniques themselves.
Article
Background and objective The aim of this systematic review is to indirectly compare the efficacy of any intervention, administered perioperatively, on acute and persistent pain after breast surgery. Databases and data treatment We searched for randomised trials comparing analgesic interventions with placebo or no treatment in patients undergoing breast surgery under general anaesthesia. Primary outcome was intensity of acute pain (up to 6h postoperatively). Secondary outcomes were cumulative 24 hour morphine consumption, incidence of PONV, and chronic pain. We used an original three‐step approach. First, meta‐analyses were performed when data from at least three trials could be combined; secondly, trial sequential analyses were used to separate conclusive from unclear evidence. And thirdly, the quality of evidence was rated with GRADE. Results Seventy‐three trials (5512 patients) tested loco‐regional blocks (paravertebral, pectoralis), local anaesthetic infiltrations, oral gabapentinoids or intravenous administration of glucocorticoids, lidocaine, NMDA antagonists or alpha2 agonists. With paravertebral blocks, pectoralis blocks, and glucocorticoids, there was conclusive evidence of a clinically relevant reduction in acute pain (VAS >1.0 cm). With pectoralis blocks, and gabapentinoids, there was conclusive evidence of a reduction in the cumulative 24 hour morphine consumption (≥5 mg). With paravertebral blocks and glucocorticoids, there was conclusive evidence of a relative reduction in the incidence of PONV of 70%. For chronic pain, insufficient data were available. Conclusions Mainly with loco‐regional blocks, there is conclusive evidence of a reduction in acute pain intensity, morphine consumption, and PONV incidence after breast surgery. For rational decision‐making, data on chronic pain are needed.
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SUMMARY We have studied prospectively 10 ASA I or II postpartum patients after inadvertent dural puncture during labour. An extradural blood patch (autologous blood 15 ml) was performed within 18 h of delivery, with continuous EEG, upper facial EMG (Datex: Anesthesia and Brain Activity Monitor), pulse oximetry and heart rate measurement before, during and for 30 min after extradural injection. Non-invasive arterial pressure measurements (Dinamap) were recorded at 5-min intervals. After extradural blood patch, a statistically significant(Student's t test, P < 0.05) decrease in heart rate, from a mean baseline of 88.6 (SD 7.31) beat min−1 to 51.3 (7.6) beatmin−1, occurred within 122.6 (16.9) s from the time of the EBP. Bradycardia was observed for a mean duration of 12.4 (1.1) s. Upper facial EMG, EEG, Sp02 and arterial pressure did not change.
Article
We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial to evaluate the early and late analgesic effect of preoperative wound infiltration with bupivacaine 0.25% (40 mL) compared to placebo (NaCl 0.9%, 40 mL) in patients undergoing major surgery. Forty-one patients scheduled for elective hysterectomy during general anesthesia were included. The pain management focused on pain prevention, including preoperative administration of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and peroperative administration of opioids. Postoperatively patients received buprenorphine and/or acetaminophen on demand. A significant difference between treatments was evident in the 3-day postoperative trial period. With identical pain scores in the two groups, the requested total amount of buprenorphine was greater in the placebo group (2.0 [0-5.1] mg) (median and [range]) than in the bupivacaine group (0.8 [0-2.8] mg) (P < 0.05). The demand for analgesics occurred earlier in those who received placebo (225 min) than in those who received bupivacaine (345 min), but did not reach the level of significance. In conclusion, preoperative wound infiltration with bupivacaine improved immediate and late postoperative pain management after hysterectomy compared to placebo. (Anesth Analg 1996;83:376-81)
Article
We conducted a case-control study to identify clinical and demographic risk factors for admission to the hospital following ambulatory surgery. Of 9616 adult patients who underwent ambulatory surgery at a university-affiliated hospital between 1984 and 1986, one hundred were admitted. The most common reasons for admission were pain (18), excessive bleeding (18), and intractable vomiting (17). The mean age (±SD) of patients who were admitted was 37±13 years, and 96% had American Society of Anesthesiologists' physical status scores of 1 or 2. Factors that were independently associated with an increased likelihood of admission were general anesthesia (odds ratio, 5.2), postoperative emesis (odds ratio, 3.0), lower abdominal and urologic surgery (odds ratio, 2.9), time in the operating room greater than 1 hour (odds ratio, 2.7), and age (odds ratio, 2.6). Our results indicate that the likelihood of unanticipated admission is related more to the type of anesthesia and surgical procedure rather than to the patient's clinical characteristics. ( JAMA . 1989;262:3008-3010)
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The analgesic efficacy of subcutaneous wound infiltration with 20 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine after elective lower segment section Caesarean section was studied in 28 patients in a double-blind randomised controlled manner using a patient-controlled analgesia system. The mean 24-hour morphine consumption of the placebo group and the bupivacaine group was similar (76 mg and 68 mg respectively). Analysis of the cumulative hourly morphine consumption failed to show any statistically significant differences between the groups. However, on a weight-adjusted basis statistically significant differences in morphine consumption were demonstrated, although these may not be clinically important. Subjective experiences of pain, nausea and drowsiness assessed by linear analogue scoring were similar in both groups.
Article
The reported incidence of emetic symptoms in surgical patients varies from 8-92%. Intractable postoperative nausea and vomiting remains one of the most unpleasant side-effects experienced by patients postoperatively, both in ambulatory and non-ambulatory care, and has potential risks for severe postoperative complications. Multiple factors are associated with an increased risk of developing postoperative nausea and vomiting: age, gender, pre-existing disease, premedication, operative procedure, anaesthetic and analgesic drugs, anaesthetic procedure, and postoperative symptoms. Prophylactic use of anti-emetic premedication is not currently routine practice because not all patients are at serious risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting, and currently available anti-emetics carry undesirable side-effects. However, anti-emetic prophylaxis is very valuable for patients at increased risk. If symptoms do develop in the recovery room, several factors need to be considered in order for anti-emetic treatment to be successful. Adequate hydration and pain control should be ensured, tight-fitting oxygen masks avoided, and patients should be encouraged to take slow, deep breaths to decrease the sensation of nausea. To avoid side-effects, anti-emetics should be administered in minimally effective doses. If the administration of anti-emetics is initially unsuccessful, it may be useful to try a combination of anti-emetic drugs with different mechanisms of action.
Article
In a recent editorial, Kapur described perioperative nausea and vomiting as "the big 'little problem' following ambulatory surgery."257 Although the actual morbidity associated with nausea is relatively low in health outpatients, it should not be considered an unavoidable part of the perioperative experience. The availability of an emesis basin for every patient in the postanesthesia recovery unit is a reflection of the limited success with the available therapeutic techniques.257 There had been little change in the incidence of postoperative emesis since the introduction of halothane into clinical practice in 1956. However, newer anesthetic drugs (e.g. propofol) appear to have contributed to a recent decline in the incidence of emesis. Factors associated with an increased risk of postoperative emesis include age, gender (menses), obesity, previous history of motion sickness or postoperative vomiting, anxiety, gastroparesis, and type and duration of the surgical procedure (e.g., laparoscopy, strabismus, middle ear procedures). Anesthesiologists have little, if any, control over these surgical factors. However, they do have control over many other factors that influence postoperative emesis (e.g., preanesthetic medication, anesthetic drugs and techniques, and postoperative pain management). Although routine antiemetic prophylaxis is clearly unjustified, patients at high risk for postoperative emesis should receive special considerations with respect to the prophylactic use of antiemetic drugs. Minimally effective doses of antiemetic drugs can be administered to reduce the incidence of sedation and other deleterious side effects. Potent nonopioid analgesics (e.g., ketorolac) can be used to control pain while avoiding some of the opioid-related side effects. Gentle handling in the immediate postoperative period is also essential. If emesis does occur, aggressive intravenous hydration and pain management are important components of the therapeutic regimen, along with antiemetic drugs. If one antiemetic does not appear to be effective, another drug with a different site of action should be considered. With the availability of new antiserotonin drugs, the incidence of recurrent (intractable) emesis could be further decreased. Research into the mechanisms of this common postoperative complication may help in improving the management of emetic sequelae in the future. As suggested in a recent editorial, improvement in antiemetic therapy could have a major impact for surgical patients, particularly after ambulatory surgery. Patients as well as those involved in their postoperative care look forward to a time when the routine offering of an emesis basin after surgery becomes a historical practice.
Article
The analgesic effects of an identical inguinal field block, performed before or immediately after inguinal herniorrhaphy, were evaluated in 32 healthy patients in a double-blind, randomized study. During surgery, all patients received a light general anaesthesia with thiopentone, alfentanil and nitrous oxide in oxygen. After inducation of general anaesthesia, patients were allocated randomly to receive an inguinal field block with lignocaine, either 15 min before operation or immediately after operation, after closure of the surgical wound, but before the patients were awake. Pain score on a visual analogue scale and on a verbal scale at rest, during mobilization from supine into sitting position and during cough was assessed 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 24 h, and 7 days after operation. No significant differences between the groups were observed in VAS scores or verbal pain scores during rest or ambulation at any time. There was no significant difference in time to first request for morphine or total morphine consumption. These results do not show pre-emptive analgesia with a conventional inguinal field block to be of clinical importance compared with a similar block administered after operation.
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The effects of a beta-blocker, carvedilol, on peripheral hemodynamics and hemorheologic parameters were evaluated in 11 geriatric patients with essential hypertension [3 men and 8 women aged 62-79 years (mean, 68.6 years)]. Carvedilol was given orally after breakfast at a dose of 10 or 20 mg daily for 8 weeks. Peripheral hemodynamics, the common carotid arterial flow, and hemorheologic parameters were determined twice prior to administration and after 4 and 8 weeks of carvedilol treatment. The common carotid arterial flow was determined using the pulsed Doppler method. Peripheral hemodynamics were assessed by venous occlusion plethysmography. The hemorheologic parameters assessed include erythrocyte aggregation, erythrocyte deformability, plasma viscosity, whole-blood hematocrit, and platelet function tests. Erythrocyte aggregation was measured using an Erythrocyte Aggregometer MA-1 (Myrenne, USA), taking a high shear rate of 600 s-1 and a low shear rate of 3 s-1 as the indices. Statistical comparisons of values before and after carvedilol administration were made using the paired Student's t-test. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were decreased by carvedilol. The common carotid arterial flow was increased, and peripheral hemodynamics were improved by carvedilol. Erythrocyte aggregation (measured at both a high and a low shear rate) and plasma viscosity were decreased, erythrocyte deformability was increased, and levels of circulating platelet aggregates were also improved by carvedilol. This improvement of hemorheologic variables may contribute to prevention of the initiation and progression of thrombosis and atherosclerosis in geriatric patients with essential hypertension.