General anesthesia with thoracic paravertebral block for modified radical mastectomy
Arunakul, P.; Ruksa, A.
Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand 93(Suppl 7): S149-S153
2010
ISSN/ISBN: 0125-2208 PMID: 21294410 Document Number: 12759
To evaluate the effect of single-injection paravertebral block (PVB) combined with general anesthesia on 24-hour postoperative morphine requirement in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy (MRM). 20 patients were randomly assigned into 2 groups. Patients in the control group were given only general anesthesia. Patients in the PVB group received 0.3 ml/kg of 0.5% plain bupivacaine at T4 paravertebral space followed by general anesthesia. Both groups received intravenous morphine patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device postoperatively. All patients were evaluated at 1 and 24 hours for pain, nausea and vomiting. Twenty-four hour morphine consumption, antiemetics requirement, and overall satisfaction were recorded. Patients with PVB had lower incidence and severity of postoperative pain, nausea and vomiting and other serious complications. No patients were unsatisfied with anesthetic techniques. PVB can reduce postoperative opioid requirement, pain, and severity of nausea and vomiting in MRM.