Regional Anesthesia for Hip Arthroscopy.

Pain after hip arthroscopy can be severe, yet we lack a consensus method for non-narcotic analgesia. Here we describe anatomic elements of hip arthroscopy and our current understanding of the relevant sensory innervation as a prelude to the evaluation of locoregional analgesic techniques. Many regional nerve blocks and local anesthetic infiltration techniques are reviewed, including 2 newer ultrasound fascial plane blocks. Further study of targeted, motor-sparing approaches, either ultrasound-guided or under direct surgical visualization is needed.

Regional Anesthesia Complications and Contraindications.

Regional anesthesia has a strong role in minimizing post-operative pain, decreasing narcotic use and PONV, and, therefore, speeding discharge times. However, as with any procedure, regional anesthesia has both benefits and risks. It is important to identify the complications and contraindications related to regional anesthesia, which patient populations are at highest risk, and how to mitigate those risks to the greatest extent possible. Overall, significant complications secondary to regional anesthesia remain low. While a variety of different regional anesthesia techniques exist, complications tend to fall within 4 broad categories: block failure, bleeding/hematoma, neurological injury, and local anesthetic toxicity.

Regional anesthesia in neonates with cleft lip and palate: Retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Orofacial clefts are the most common congenital abnormalities. Cleft lip reconstruction is performed mostly in 3 months of life including the neonatal period. The consumption of opioids during anesthesia is one of the monitored parameters of anesthesia safety. We investigated the effect of using an infraorbital nerve block for reducing opioid consumption during cleft lip surgery in neonates. PATIENTS/METHODS: Overall, 100 patients who underwent primary cleft lip surgery in neonatal age between 2018 and 2021 were included in the study. The primary outcome was to compare opioid requirements during cleft lip surgery with and without using regional anesthesia. Secondary outcomes included a first oral intake from surgery between neonates with and without regional anesthesia and complications rate of infraorbital nerve block. RESULTS: Data from 100 patients (46 patients with and 64 without regional anesthesia) were retrospectively analyzed and classified into two groups according to whether regional anesthesia during neonatal cleft lip surgery had been performed or not. The use of infraorbital block was found to be positively correlated with lower doses of opioids used during the general anesthesia for the surgery (mean 0.48 µg/kg vs 0.29 µg/kg, p < 0.05). The postoperative course was evaluated based on the interval from surgery to first oral intake which was statistically insignificant shorter (p = 0.16) in the group of patients using regional anesthesia. No complications were recorded in the group of patients with regional anesthesia. CONCLUSIONS: Regional anesthesia is associated with reduced opioid consumption during anesthesia thereby increasing the safety of anesthesia in neonates. GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT06067854https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06067854?cond=NCT06067854&rank=1.

Is Tourniquet Pain the Result of Increased Compartment Pressure in the Forearm?

ABSTRACT: The pneumatic tourniquet has been a mainstay in upper extremity surgery by allowing the surgeon to operate in a blood-free field. Many upper extremity surgical procedures are done under local anesthesia or minimal sedation, and the problem of tourniquet pain is a vexing one. The question is posed: Is tourniquet pain the result of increased compartment pressure in the forearm? This study measured compartment pressures of the volar forearm in 10 healthy normotensive volunteers before inflation of a pneumatic tourniquet and compared it with pressure measurements taken while the tourniquet was still inflated after 15 minutes. Compartment pressures were measured using a Stryker needle manometer; all measurements were taken in the volar forearm by the senior author (C.H.M.). There was no increase in the volar/flexor compartment pressure of the forearm after 15 minutes of tourniquet inflation. All subjects complained of pain of the forearm, characteristically what is commonly called "tourniquet pain." We therefore conclude that in the upper extremity, at least for relatively short operating times, appropriate inflation of a tourniquet does not induce the early onset of increased compartment pressure in the forearm.

[Old and New Regional Anesthesia Procedures Under Review - Abdomen to Toe]. / Alte und neue Regionalanästhesieverfahren unter Review ­ Bauch bis Fußzehe.

Ultrasound (US) technology has significantly expanded the spectrum of regional anesthesiological procedures in recent years. Abdominal wall blocks are becoming an increasingly integral part of a multimodal postoperative pain concept after abdominal surgery, gynecological or urological interventions. Thoracic epidural analgesia remains the gold standard for extensive surgery. The requirement for rapid postoperative mobilization and discharge after lower extremity surgery has led to the abandonment of neuroaxial or plexus blocks in favor of selective, peripheral blocks such as the PENG block or adductor canal block. The following article is intended to show the reader the change in the use of regional anesthesiological procedures for abdominal wall and lower extremity blocks using selected blockages.

Perioperative pain management with regional analgesia techniques for visceral cancer surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Regional analgesia following visceral cancer surgery might provide an advantage but evidence for best treatment options related to risk-benefit is unclear. DESIGN: Systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCT) with meta-analysis and GRADE assessment. SETTING: Postoperative pain treatment. PATIENTS: Adult patients undergoing visceral cancer surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Any kind of peripheral (PRA) or epidural analgesia (EA) with/without systemic analgesia (SA) was compared to SA with or without placebo treatment or any other regional anaesthetic techniques. MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcome measures were postoperative acute pain intensity at rest and during activity 24 h after surgery, the number of patients with block-related adverse events and postoperative paralytic ileus. MAIN RESULTS: 59 RCTs (4345 participants) were included. EA may reduce pain intensity at rest (mean difference (MD) -1.05; 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.35 to -0.75, low certainty evidence) and during activity 24 h after surgery (MD -1.83; 95% CI: -2.34 to -1.33, very low certainty evidence). PRA likely results in little difference in pain intensity at rest (MD -0.75; 95% CI: -1.20 to -0.31, moderate certainty evidence) and pain during activity (MD -0.93; 95% CI: -1.34 to -0.53, moderate certainty evidence) 24 h after surgery compared to SA. There may be no difference in block-related adverse events (very low certainty evidence) and development of paralytic ileus (very low certainty of evidence) between EA, respectively PRA and SA. CONCLUSIONS: Following visceral cancer surgery EA may reduce pain intensity. In contrast, PRA had only limited effects on pain intensity at rest and during activity. However, we are uncertain regarding the effect of both techniques on block-related adverse events and paralytic ileus. Further research is required focusing on regional analgesia techniques especially following laparoscopic visceral cancer surgery.

Regional anaesthesia via parasternal catheters inserted preoperatively and postoperative delirium after cardiac surgery: A prospective unrandomised clinical trial.

VISUAL ABSTRACT: http://links.lww.com/EJA/A927.

Reducing Disparities: Regional Anesthesia Blocks for Mastectomy with Reconstruction Within Standardized Regional Anesthesia Pathways.

BACKGROUND: Recent data suggest disparities in receipt of regional anesthesia prior to breast reconstruction. We aimed to understand factors associated with block receipt for mastectomy with immediate tissue expander (TE) reconstruction in a high-volume ambulatory surgery practice with standardized regional anesthesia pathways. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients who underwent mastectomy with immediate TE reconstruction from 2017 to 2022 were included. All patients were considered eligible for and were offered preoperative nerve blocks as part of routine anesthesia care. Interpreters were used for non-English speaking patients. Patients who declined a block were compared with those who opted for the procedure. RESULTS: Of 4213 patients who underwent mastectomy with immediate TE reconstruction, 91% accepted and 9% declined a nerve block. On univariate analyses, patients with the lowest rate of block refusal were white, non-Hispanic, English speakers, patients with commercial insurance, and patients undergoing bilateral reconstruction. The rate of block refusal went down from 12 in 2017 to 6% in 2022. Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated that older age (p = 0.011), Hispanic ethnicity (versus non-Hispanic; p = 0.049), Medicaid status (versus commercial insurance; p < 0.001), unilateral surgery (versus bilateral; p = 0.045), and reconstruction in earlier study years (versus 2022; 2017, p < 0.001; 2018, p < 0.001; 2019, p = 0.001; 2020, p = 0.006) were associated with block refusal. CONCLUSIONS: An established preoperative regional anesthesia program with blocks offered to all patients undergoing mastectomy with TE reconstruction can result in decreased racial disparities. However, continued differences in age, ethnicity, and insurance status justify future efforts to enhance preoperative educational efforts that address patient hesitancies in these subpopulations.

Erector spinae plane block as an anesthesia technique for an emergent thoracotomy; a case report.

BACKGROUND: The erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is a novel regional block technique for pain management following thoracic surgeries. However, there are minimal cases in which the technique was used as the main anesthesia technique during surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we report the successful use of ESBP for applying anesthesia in a case during an emergent thoracotomy for performing pericardiotomy and loculated tamponade evacuation. CONCLUSIONS: Using ESPB with a higher concentration of local anesthetics, in this case, prepared appropriate anesthesia for performing an emergent thoracotomy while avoiding multiple needle insertions and the risk of further hemodynamic instability.

Regional anaesthesia truncal blocks for acute postoperative pain and recovery: a narrative review.

Significant acute postoperative pain remains prevalent among patients who undergo truncal surgery and is associated with increased morbidity, prolonged patient recovery, and increased healthcare costs. The provision of high-quality postoperative analgesia is an important component of postoperative care, particularly within enhanced recovery programmes. Regional anaesthetic techniques have become increasingly prevalent within multimodal analgesic regimens and the widespread adoption of ultrasonography has facilitated the development of novel fascial plane blocks. The number of described fascial plane blocks has increased significantly over the past decade, leading to a burgeoning area of clinical investigation. Their applications are increasing, and truncal fascial plane blocks are increasingly recommended as part of procedure-specific guidelines. Some fascial plane blocks have been shown to be more efficacious than others, with favourable side-effect profiles compared with neuraxial analgesia, and are increasingly utilised in breast, thoracic, and other truncal surgery. However, use of these blocks is debated in regional anaesthesia circles because of limitations in our understanding of their mechanisms of action. This narrative review evaluates available evidence for the analgesic efficacy of the most commonly practised fascial plane blocks in breast, thoracic, and abdominal truncal surgery, in particular their efficacy compared with systemic analgesia, alternative blocks, and neuraxial techniques. We also highlight areas where investigations are ongoing and suggest priorities for original investigations.

Regional anesthesia for transplantation surgery - A White Paper Part 2: Abdominal transplantation surgery.

Transplantation surgery continues to evolve and improve through advancements in transplant technique and technology. With the increased availability of ultrasound machines as well as the continued development of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) protocols, regional anesthesia has become an essential component of providing analgesia and minimizing opioid use perioperatively. Many centers currently utilize peripheral and neuraxial blocks during transplantation surgery, but these techniques are far from standardized practices. The utilization of these procedures is often dependent on transplantation centers' historical methods and perioperative cultures. To date, no formal guidelines or recommendations exist which address the use of regional anesthesia in transplantation surgery. In response, the Society for the Advancement of Transplant Anesthesia (SATA) identified experts in both transplantation surgery and regional anesthesia to review available literature concerning these topics. The goal of this task force was to provide an overview of these publications to help guide transplantation anesthesiologists in utilizing regional anesthesia. The literature search encompassed most transplantation surgeries currently performed and the multitude of associated regional anesthetic techniques. Outcomes analyzed included analgesic effectiveness of the blocks, reduction in other analgesic modalities-particularly opioid use, improvement in patient hemodynamics, as well as associated complications. The findings summarized in this systemic review support the use of regional anesthesia for postoperative pain control after transplantation surgeries. Part 1 of the manuscript focused on regional anesthesia performed in thoracic transplantation surgeries, and part 2 in abdominal transplantations. Specifically, regional anesthesia in liver, kidney, pancreas, intestinal, and uterus transplants or applicable surgeries are discussed.

Awake caudal anesthesia in ex-premature infants undergoing lower abdominal surgery: A narrative review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this narrative review is to evaluate the literature describing the use of caudal anesthetic-based techniques in premature and ex-premature infants undergoing lower abdominal surgery. METHODS: All available literature from inception to August 2023 was retrieved according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines from Medline, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Two authors reviewed all references for eligibility, abstracted data, and appraised quality. RESULTS: Of the 211 articles identified, 45 met our inclusion criteria yielding 1548 cases with awake caudal anesthesia. The review included 558 (36.0%) cases of awake caudal anesthesia, 837 cases (54.1%) of "awake" caudal anesthesia with sedation, and 153 cases (9.9%) of combined spinal caudal epidural anesthesia without sedation. The overall anesthetic failure rate was 7.2% (71.9:1000 caudals). Failure rates were highest for CSEA (13.7%, 7.7-18.4), intermediate for awake caudal (6.6%, 5.26-9.51), and lowest for sedated caudal anesthesia (5.85%, 4.48-7.82). The incidence (range) of perioperative apnea was highest for sedated caudal anesthesia (8.16, 0%-24%), intermediate for awake caudal (7.62%, 0%-60%), and lowest for CSEA (5.53%, 0%-14.3%). High spinal anesthesia occurred in 0.84%, or 8.35:1000 caudals overall. The incidence was highest in awake caudal anesthesia cases (1.97% or 19.7:1000 caudals), intermediate with caudal with sedation (1.07% or 10.7:1000 caudals), and lowest in CSEA (0.7% or 6.6:1000 caudals). Our review was confounded by incomplete data reporting and small sample sizes as most were case reports. There were no high-quality randomized controlled trials, and the eight single-center retrospective data reviews lacked sufficient data to perform meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: There is insufficient evidence to validate or refute the benefits of the use of "awake" caudal anesthesia in premature and ex-premature infants. The high doses of local anesthetics used, the high failure rate, and the increased incidence of high spinal anesthesia would suggest that the techniques offer no real advantages over awake spinal anesthesia or general anesthesia with a regional block.

Anesthetic Methods for Hip Fracture.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the benefits, risks, and contraindications of traditional and new anesthesia approaches for hip fracture surgery and describe what is known about the impact of these approaches on postoperative outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS: This review describes general and spinal anesthesia, peripheral nerve block techniques used for pain management, and novel, local anesthesia approaches which may provide significant benefit compared with traditional approaches by minimizing high-risk induction time and decreasing respiratory suppression and short- and long-term cognitive effects. Hip fracture surgery places a large physiologic stress on an already frail patient, and anesthesia choice plays an important role in managing risk of perioperative morbidity. New local anesthesia techniques may decrease morbidity and mortality, particularly in higher-risk patients.

Basic analgesic use in randomised trials assessing local and regional analgesic interventions for mastectomy: a critical appraisal and clinical implications.

Regional analgesia is a core component of an optimal multimodal analgesia technique. Several advanced regional analgesic techniques have been evaluated for mastectomy; however, the optimal choice remains unclear. Many randomised clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating various local/regional analgesic techniques do not include basic analgesics (i.e. paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cyclooxygenase-2 specific inhibitors, and dexamethasone) which precludes objective evaluation of their efficacy. The aim of this scoping review was to assess the use of basic analgesics in RCTs evaluating efficacy of local and regional analgesic techniques in patients undergoing mastectomy. PubMed was searched to identify relevant articles from January 1, 2010 to May 31, 2023. The key finding of this study is that almost 90% (n=82/92) of the RCTs evaluating local/regional analgesic techniques in patients undergoing mastectomy did not administer well accepted basic analgesics in the comparator groups. Consequently, the conclusions of the RCTs assessing local/regional analgesic techniques for mastectomy should be interpreted with caution. Also, clinical guidelines based on meta-analyses of these RCTs could be inadequate or inappropriate.

Regional Anesthesia With Paravertebral Blockade Is Associated With Improved Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Minithoracotomy Cardiac Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Severe postoperative pain has been shown to affect many patients following minimally invasive cardiac surgeries (MICS). Multimodal pain management with regional anesthesia, particularly by delivery of local anesthetics using a paravertebral catheter (PVC), has been shown to reduce pain in operations involving thoracotomy incisions. However, few studies have reported high-quality safety and efficacy outcomes of PVCs following MICS. METHODS: Patients who underwent MICS at Vancouver General Hospital between 2016 and 2019 (N = 123) were reviewed for perioperative opioid-narcotic use. Primary outcomes were postoperative opioid use and hospital length of stay (LOS). Statistical analyses were performed using univariate and multivariable regression models to determine independent risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 54 patients received routine systemic analgesia (control), 53 patients received a paravertebral catheter (PVC), and 16 patients received another mode of regional analgesia (non-PVC). The mean hospital LOS was significantly different in patients in the PVC group at 5.8 ± 2.0 days versus 8.3 ± 7.1 days in the control and 6.6 ± 2.3 days in the non-PVC group (P = 0.033). The percentage of patients who did not require postoperative oxycodone was significantly higher in the PVC group (48.1%), compared with the control (24.5%) and non-PVC (37.5%; P = 0.043) groups. CONCLUSIONS: The administration of regional anesthesia using PVCs was associated with reduced need for opioids and a shorter LOS. The reduction in postoperative opioids may reduce the risk of potential opioid dependency in this population. Future studies should involve randomized controlled trials with systematic evaluation of pain scores to verify current study results.

Multimodal Analgesia and Opioid-Free Anesthesia in Spinal Surgery: A Literature Review.

PURPOSES: To determine if opioid-free anesthesia, opioid-sparing anesthesia, or multimodal analgesia improved outcomes in patients undergoing spinal fusion. DESIGN: A literature review was performed by searching PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. METHODS: MeSH terms included "opioid free" AND "spine surgery," with alternative terms used including: regional anesthesia, multimodal analgesia, opioid-free anesthesia, enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS), spinal surgery, spinal fusion, ACDF, cervical fusion, lumbar fusion, etc. Seven studies were deemed appropriate for inclusion with a combined sample size of n = 2,102. FINDINGS: All of the seven included articles evaluated total opioid administration and found a reduction in total opioid administered in the research groups versus control groups. Six of the seven included articles evaluated postoperative pain scores with mixed results. Various additional benefits of opioid-free, opioid-sparing, or multimodal analgesia included: decreased hospital length of stay (LOS), decreased post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) LOS, decreased post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and decreased post-operative opioid use through 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: For patients undergoing spine surgery, opioid-free, opioid-sparing, and multimodal analgesia will be less likely to experience the adverse effects of opioid analgesics and ultimately lead to better patient outcomes and reduced hospital stays.

Regional Anesthesia in Upper-Limb Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Local and regional anesthesia is associated with numerous clinical and institutional advantages relative to general anesthesia. As anesthesiologists and surgeons increasingly integrate local and regional anesthesia into their clinical practice, an understanding of the principles, evolution, and trends underpinning modern anesthetic techniques continues to be relevant. METHODS: A review of the literature in databases Medline, PubMed, and EMBASE identified recent developments, ongoing trends, and historical milestones in upper-limb regional anesthesia. RESULTS: Advances in regional anesthetic techniques in the last century have led to reduced postoperative pain, improved safety, and improved outcomes in upper-limb surgery. The development of ultrasound-guided techniques, as well as pharmacological advances in local anesthetic drugs and adjuncts, has further advanced the role of regional anesthesia. Wide-awake local anesthesia with no tourniquet has allowed certain procedures to be performed on select patients in outpatient and low-resource settings. CONCLUSIONS: This review provides an overview of local and regional anesthesia in the upper-limb from its historical origins to its contemporary applications in upper-limb surgery, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.