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Background/Objectives: Rhomboid intercostal block (RIB) is a new interfascial plane block. RIB is a simple and clinically effective technique. Paravertebral block (PVB) is offered as a first-line regional anesthesia technique for thoracoscopic surgeries. In this study, we aim to compare the analgesic efficacy of RIB to PVB in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgeries (VATSs). Methods: This is a prospective randomized study with 84 patients aged 18–75 and ASA I–III, undergoing VATS for primary lung cancer. The study was approved by an ethical committee and registered under clinicaltrials.org. With informed consent, patients were randomized to receive ultrasound-guided RIB or PVB at T5-level with 20 mL of %0.25 bupivacaine preoperatively. Surgeries were performed under general anesthesia. Postoperatively, patient-controlled IV fentanyl analgesia was prescribed, delivering 10 μg boluses upon request with 10 min of a lock-out period. Patients received paracetamol 1 g IV three times a day and tramadol 50 mg IV for breakthrough pain. The postoperative Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain, total opioid consumption, and rescue analgesic requirements were recorded postoperatively at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h. Results: There were no significant differences in 24 h total opioid consumption between the RIB and PVB groups [PVB: 48.5 (39.5–55) mcg; RIB: 48.6 (40.2–65) mcg; p = 0.258], nor in rescue analgesic requirements [PVB: seven patients (20%); RIB: seven patients (17.1%); p = 0.570]. NRS pain scores were also similar between the groups, with no significant difference in overall pain control efficacy (p = 0.833). Conclusions: RIB is comparable to PVB in analgesic efficacy for VATS and can be considered as an alternative analgesic modality.

Background The rhomboid intercostal and subserratus plane (RISS) block is a new interfascial block technique that has shown promising results for abdominal and thoracic surgeries. Our objective was to describe the improved analgesia and dermatomal coverage in patients who received bilateral RISS blocks after a major abdominal surgery. Case Twenty-one patients who underwent abdominal surgery received the rhomboid intercostal component of the block at the T5 to T6 levels, and the subserratus component block was performed at the T6 to T9 levels. The RISS blocks provided effective postoperative analgesia. There was a variation in the dermatomal coverage ranging from T3 to T12. Patients reported a high satisfaction rate from pain management. Conclusions The RISS block in abdominal surgery seems to have an important role in perioperative pain management, complementing the multimodal analgesic regimen. To determine the efficacy of the RISS block for abdominal surgery, we need further randomized control trials.

Background and Aims: Liposomal bupivacaine (LB) is a formulation of local anesthetic that may exert analgesia over a prolonged period. Anecdotal use of LB suggests benefit and prolonged analgesia when used to supplement infiltration blocks. Our aim was to test the effect of a bolus of LB delivered through a nerve catheter in two types of interfascial plane blocks (transversus abdominis plane and anterior subcostal quadratus lumborum). The effect was evaluated through patient self-reporting of postsurgical pain up to 48 postoperative hours. Material and Methods: Medical records of adult postoperative patients who received LB in a peripheral nerve catheter were followed retrospectively and analysed for pain scores and spread of dermatomal numbness over 48 h following the postoperative dose. A chart review of patients who qualified between June 2015 and March 2017 was performed, and clinical data were obtained from the institutional Perioperative Health Documentation System. Results: Pain scores decreased following LB bolus, and all patients reported efficient block analgesia after bolus injection. Dermatomal numbness decreased gradually and was minimal by 48 h following bolus. Conclusion: LB can be injected through a peripheral nerve catheter to prolong analgesia after catheter removal.

The quadratus lumborum (QL) block provides analgesia to the abdominal wall while sparing the side effects of neuraxial blocks. We describe a case series of eight patients treated with a continuous infusion of local anesthetic via bilateral posterior QL catheters infusion block for analgesia after abdominal surgeries. We found that the median duration of the procedure was 26 min and the median opioid consumption over the first postoperative 72 h was 110 mg of morphine equivalents. The bilateral continuous posterior QL block is a feasible analgesic intervention and can be considered as a component of multimodal analgesic pathways.

Although epidural analgesia is widely used for pain relief, it is associated with a significant failure rate. Loss of resistance technique, tactile feedback from the needle, and surface landmarks are traditionally used to guide the epidural needle tip into the epidural space (EDS). The aim of this narrative review is to critically appraise new and emerging technologies for identification of EDS and their potential role in the future. The PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Studies, and Web of Science databases were searched using predecided search strategies, yielding 1048 results. After careful review of abstracts and full texts, 42 articles were selected to be included. Newer techniques for localization of EDS can be broadly classified into techniques that (1) guide the needle to the EDS, (2) identify needle entry into the EDS, and (3) confirm catheter location in EDS. An ideal method should be easy to learn and perform, easily reproducible with high sensitivity and specificity, identifies inadvertent intrathecal and intravascular catheter placements with ease, feasible in perioperative setting and have a cost-benefit advantage. Though none of them in their current stages of development qualify as an ideal method, many show tremendous potential. Some techniques are useful in patients with difficult spinal anatomy and infants, and thus are complementary to traditional methods. In addition to improving the existing technology, future research should aim at proving the superiority of these techniques over traditional methods, specifically regarding successful EDS localization, better safety profile, and a favorable cost-benefit ratio.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153675.].

Epidural analgesia is considered the standard of care but cannot be provided to all patients Liposomal bupivacaine has been approved for field blocks such as transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks but has not been clinically compared against other modalities. In this retrospective propensity matched cohort study we thus tested the primary hypothesis that TAP infiltration are noninferior (not worse) to continuous epidural analgesia and superior (better) to intravenous opioid analgesia in patients recovering from major lower abdominal surgery. 318 patients were propensity matched on 18 potential factors among three groups (106 per group): 1) TAP infiltration with bupivacaine liposome; 2) continuous Epidural analgesia with plain bupivacaine; and; 3) intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA). We claimed TAP noninferior (not worse) over Epidural if TAP was noninferior (not worse) on total morphine-equivalent opioid and time-weighted average pain score (10-point scale) within first 72 hours after surgery with noninferiority deltas of 1 (10-point scale) for pain and an increase less of 20% in the mean morphine equivalent opioid consumption. We claimed TAP or Epidural groups superior (better) over IV PCA if TAP or Epidural was superior on opioid consumption and at least noninferior on pain outcome. Multivariable linear regressions within the propensity-matched cohorts were used to model total morphine-equivalent opioid dose and time-weighted average pain score within first 72 hours after surgery; joint hypothesis framework was used for formal testing. TAP infiltration were noninferior to Epidural on both primary outcomes (p

Continuous peripheral nerve blocks (CPNB) are commonly used for intraoperative and postoperative analgesia. Our study aimed at describing our experience with ambulatory peripheral nerve catheters. After Institutional Review Board approval, records for all patients discharged with supraclavicular or popliteal catheters between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2011 were reviewed. A licensed practitioner provided verbal and written instructions to the patients prior to discharge. Daily follow-up phone calls were conducted. Patients either removed their catheters at home with real-time simultaneous telephone guidance by a member of the Acute Pain Service or had them removed by the surgeon during a regular office visit. The primary outcome of this analysis was the incidence of complications, categorized as pharmacologic, infectious, or other. The secondary outcome measure was the average daily pain score. Our study included a total of 1059 patients with ambulatory catheters (769 supraclavicular, 290 popliteal). The median infusion duration was 5 days for both groups. Forty-two possible complications were identified: 13 infectious, 23 pharmacologic, and 6 labeled as other. Two patients had retained catheters, 2 had catheter leakage, and 2 had shortness of breath. Our study showed that prolonged use of ambulatory catheters for a median period of 5 days did not lead to an increased incidence of complications.

Combined spinal epidural (CSE) can provide excellent labor analgesia. Subdural block is also a potential but rare complication of attempted epidural placement during a CSE procedure, which may present as a block that is usually patchy in nature, with a component of sensory and/or motor deficit and a variable duration of action. In addition, a conversion disorder or a functional neurological disorder has been described with epidural and spinal anesthesia in obstetric patients. In this clinical report, we describe a 33-year-old G4P3 at 40 weeks gestation that received an unintentional subdural block as part of her labor analgesia and after an uneventful caesarean delivery presented with a conversion disorder. The rarity of the association between a subdural block and a conversion disorder complicated by the fact that the neurological deficit produced by the subdural block and that produced by a conversion disorder are similar in distribution made the clinical presentation and diagnosis a challenge for the obstetric anesthesia team. A functional neurological disorder of this nature complicating a subdural block in an obstetric anesthesia clinical practice has not been described so far.

ABSTRACT Objective To compare analgesia and opioid consumption for patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty with preoperative posterior quadratus lumborum block with patients who did not receive quadratus lumborum block. Methods The medical records of patients undergoing unilateral total hip arthroplasty between January 1st, 2017 and March 31, 2018 were reviewed, and 238 patients were included in the study. The primary outcome was postoperative opioid consumption in the first 24 postoperative hours. Secondary outcomes were intraoperative, post anesthesia care unit, and 48-hour opioid consumption, postoperative pain Visual Analog Scale scores, and post-anesthesia care unit length of stay. Primary and secondary endpoint data were compared between patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty with preoperative posterior quadratus lumborum block with patients who did not receive quadratus lumborum block. Results For the patients who received quadratus lumborum block, the 24-hour total oral morphine equivalent (milligram) requirements were lower (53.82mg±37.41), compared to the patients who did not receive quadratus lumborum block (77.59mL±58.42), with p=0.0011. Opioid requirements were consistently lower for the patients who received quadratus lumborum block at each additional assessment time point up to 48 hours. Pain Visual Analog Scale scores were lower up to 12 hours after surgery for the patients who received a posterior quadratus lumborum block, and the post-anesthesia care unit length of stay was shorter for the patients who received quadratus lumborum block. Conclusion Preoperative posterior quadratus lumborum block for primary total hip arthroplasty is associated with decreased opioid requirements up to 48 hours, decreased Visual Analog Scale pain scores up to 12 hours, and shorter post-anesthesia care unit length of stay. Level of evidence: III