Assessing the Efficacy of the S-PECS Block in Breast Augmentation Surgery: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative acute and chronic pain following breast surgery is a common complication that needs resolving to allow for improved patient outcomes. Previously, thoracic epidurals and paravertebral blocks have been the accepted standard administered intraoperatively. However, more recently the introduction of the pectoral nerve block (PECS and PECS-2 blocks) has appeared promising to control the pain more effectively, but further robust analysis is required to prove its efficacy. The authors aim to study the efficacy of a new block, S-PECS, that combines a serratus anterior and a PECS-2 block. METHODS: In this study, the authors performed a single-center, randomized, controlled, double-blind group trial in 30 female patients undergoing breast augmentation surgery with silicone breast implants and the S-PECS block. Divided into two groups of 15, the PECS group received local anesthetics and the no-PECS control group received a saline injection. All participants were followed up at recovery and at 4, 6, and 12 hours postoperatively. RESULTS: The authors' results showed that the pain score in the PECS group was significantly less than in the no-PECS group across all time points: recovery, and at 4, 6, and 12 hours. Furthermore, the patients who received the S-PEC block were 74% less likely to request pain medications compared with the no-PECS group ( P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Overall, the modified S-PECS block is an effective, efficient, and safe method of controlling pain in patients undergoing breast augmentation surgery, with additional applications yet to be explored.

Using Ginger Oil to Treat Nausea and Vomiting Following Breast Augmentation Surgery.

We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, single-center study involving 30 women undergoing breast augmentation surgery with silicone breast implants. All patients had an A cup breast size and a similar body mass index. We placed the same type of implant in a subpectoral dual plane in each patient. We randomly allocated the study participants to receive either three drops of ginger oil (110 mg Zingiber officinale) or three drops of a placebo control oil placed on their laryngeal mask before insertion. We used a postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and a visual analog scale (VAS) scores as outcome measures and compared the scale results with the dose of morphine used by the patient. The results of the multivariate analysis of variance showed that the ginger oil had a significant effect on PONV/VAS scores, V = 0.87, F(3, 16) = 34.78, p < .001. The results of the univariate analysis of variance showed that using the ginger oil provided significant treatment effects on PONV, F(1, 18) = 73.05, p < .001. These results are also reflected in the descriptive statistics. The mean PONV score for the experimental group and the control group was 1.70 ± 0.48 and 4.20 ± 0.79, respectively. The mean VAS score for the experimental group and the control group was 5.0 ± 1.63 and 5.9 ± 2.33, respectively. The results of our study showed that ginger oil has an important role in preventing PONV and reducing the use of postoperative opioids in women who have undergone breast augmentation surgery.