Propofol-based intravenous anesthesia is associated with improved survival outcomes after major cancer surgery: a nationwide cohort study in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: The optimal anesthetic technique for cancer surgery remains a controversial issue. This study aimed to examine whether propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) was associated with survival outcomes after major cancer surgery in South Korea and compare its effectiveness with that of inhalation anesthesia. METHODS: This nationwide population-based cohort study included adult patients who were admitted to the hospital and underwent major cancer surgery between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2020. The major cancers included lung, gastric, colorectal, esophageal, small bowel, liver, pancreatic, and bile duct or gallbladder cancers. RESULTS: A total of 253,003 patients who underwent major cancer surgery were included in the analysis. After propensity score (PS) matching, 115,370 patients (57,685 in each group) were included in the final analysis. In the PS-matched cohort, the TIVA group showed 9% (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.91, 95% CI [0.85, 0.98], P = 0.018) and 7% (HR: 0.93, 95% CI [0.89, 0.96], P < 0.001) lower 90-day and one-year mortality rates, respectively, than the inhalation group. In subgroup analyses, the TIVA group showed lower 90-day mortality than the inhalation group in the gastric (HR: 0.86, 95% CI [0.72, 0.97], P = 0.033), colorectal (HR: 0.64, 95% CI [0.56, 0.73], P < 0.001), and pancreatic (HR: 0.76, 95% CI [0.57, 0.94], P = 0.038) cancer surgery groups. CONCLUSIONS: Propofol-based TIVA is associated with better survival outcomes after major cancer surgeries. Moreover, propofol-based TIVA was beneficial in patients who underwent gastric, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer surgeries.

Effect of the Paravertebral Block on Chronic Postsurgical Pain After Thoracic Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify the benefits of thoracic paravertebral block (PVB) by focusing on its role in reducing chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) after thoracic surgery. DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). SETTING: Electronic databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Scopus, and Web of Science, were searched to identify studies. PARTICIPANTS: Patients undergoing thoracic surgeries. INTERVENTION: Paravertebral block for postoperative analgesia. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 1,028 adult patients from 10 RCTs were included in the final analysis. The incidence of CPSP at 3 months after surgery was not reduced in the PVB group compared with the no-block (odds ratio [OR] 0.59, 95% CI 0.34-1.04; p = 0.07; I2 = 6.96%) and other-block (OR 1.39, 95% CI 0.30-6.42; p = 0.67; I2 = 77.75%) groups. The PVB did not significantly reduce the incidence of CPSP after 6 months from surgery when compared with no block (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.08-2.53; p = 0.36; I2 = 87.53%) and other blocks (OR 1.17, 95% CI 0.71-1.95; p = 0.93; I2 = 45.75%). The PVB significantly decreased postoperative pain at 24 and 48 hours at rest compared with the no- block group. The pain score was higher in the PVB group than in the other block groups 48 hours after surgery at rest. CONCLUSIONS: Thoracic PVB does not prevent CPSP after thoracic surgery. Further large RCTs are required to confirm and validate the authors' results.