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Study Design: Retrospective controlled cohort., Objective: To evaluate the effect of intraoperative liposomal bupivacaine (LB) through erector spinae plane block (ESPB) on patients with postoperative adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) with and without patient-controlled analgesia (PCA)., Background: Pain control after posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for AIS includes opioids and other modalities. The goal of these modalities is to reduce pain and opioid consumption. Two new modalities for pain control include LB and ESPB. There are scant studies on these modalities tested in concert on patients undergoing PSF for AIS., Patients and Methods: Seventy-two consecutive patients with AIS who underwent PSF were separated into patients who had a PCA (group A) as part of their postoperative pain management and those who did not (group B). Opioid consumption was measured through morphine milligram equivalents. Pain scores were measured through the visual acuity score (Visual Analog Scale). Patient mobility was measured by steps taken. These were measured by the function of postoperative days from surgery., Results: Group B had significantly lower morphine milligram equivalents at every point after surgery, most notably throughout the entire hospital stay (99.8 vs . 200.7). Postoperative pain scores in group B were the same if not better than group A. There was no difference in mobility between the cohorts. Group B had lower LOS (3.7 vs . 4.1)., Conclusion: In postoperative PSF for patients with AIS receiving LB through ESPB, those who did not receive a PCA had lower opioid consumption without worse pain scores or mobility and had a lower LOS. Adding LB through ESPB to postoperative pain regimens effectively replaces a PCA by providing the same pain control and reducing overall opioid consumption and LOS., Competing Interests: R.G.: consultant/advisor for Highland Medical/Stryker/Orthopediatrics/Mighty Oak Medical. The remaining authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This prospective, randomized, double-blind trial was performed to investigate the effect on rebound pain incidence of mixing dexmedetomidine (DEX) with local anesthetics in a combined injection interscalene block (ISB) during shoulder arthroscopy., Methods: Forty-seven patients were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups: Group DEX and Group Control received ultrasound-guided ISB using 12 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine with 50 ug of DEX or without DEX. Pain scores at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery were assessed with Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NRS). Additional analgesic requirements and side effects in the first 48 hours postoperatively, as well as sleep disturbance on the night and other complications of surgery were examined., Results: The incidence of rebound pain was significantly lower in the Group DEX than in the Group Control. Perineural DEX decreased pain scores at 12 and 24 hours postoperatively. Group DEX had a prolonged time for the first analgesic request, PCA sufentanil consumption in Group DEX was less than Group Control during the first 48 hours postoperatively. The number of patients with sleep disturbance and nausea and vomiting in the DEX Group was lower on the first night postoperative., Discussion: Perineural DEX added to ISB exerts a beneficial effect on the incidence of rebound pain after ISB in patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy. Perineural DEX facilitated the implementation of multimodal analgesia in the early stage after operation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The challenge of effectively managing long-term pain after surgery remains a significant issue in clinical settings. Although local anesthetics are preferred for their effective pain relief and few side effects, their short-lasting effect does not fully meet the pain relief needs after surgery. Articaine, widely used for postoperative pain relief as a local anesthetic, is pharmacologically limited by its short half-life, which reduces the duration of its pain-relieving effects. To overcome this issue, this study presents a new approach using poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres for controlled articaine release, aiming to extend its analgesic effect while reducing potential toxicity. The PLGA microspheres were shown to extend the release of articaine for at least 72 h in lab tests, displaying excellent biocompatibility and low toxicity. When used in a rodent model for postoperative pain, the microspheres provided significantly prolonged pain relief, effectively reducing pain for up to 3 days post-surgery, without causing inflammation or tissue damage for over 72 h after being administered. The extended release and high safety profile of these PLGA microspheres highlight their promise as a new method for delivering local anesthetics, opening up new possibilities for pain management in the future., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Purpose: The use of perineural dexamethasone as an adjuvant drug to peripheral nerve block for postoperative pain is controversial. This systematic review aimed to determine the effectiveness of adding dexamethasone to lidocaine in upper limb nerve blocks., Design: Systematic review., Methods: This review used a comprehensive search strategy to retrieve relevant published randomized trial articles that fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria, without time limits, (until December 2023) that assessed the effects of a combination of dexamethasone to lidocaine in upper limb nerve blocks. The databases used for the electronic literature search included PubMed, Embase, and Clinical Trials.gov, dbGaP, Cochrane library, and Google Scholar. There was no language, gender, or age limitation. This systematic review is reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis statement., Findings: Of 3,926 articles identified by the initial search, 8 studies that met our inclusion criteria. All articles were original research studies. All eight articles were clinical trials. The sample size in the selected studies ranged from 30 to 90 people. Studies demonstrated that combining dexamethasone with lidocaine significantly improved the quality of peripheral nerve blocks, increased the analgesia period, and decreased analgesic consumption., Conclusions: This review supported that the combination of dexamethasone (dose of 4 to 10 mg) and lidocaine (concentration of 1.5% to 2%) for upper limb block was more effective and beneficial without any side effects. However, further clinical trials in this regard with more data, various regions, and larger sample sizes to support our hypothesis are recommended., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None to report., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Distal nerve block approaches have been explored to reduce hemidiaphragmatic paresis (HDP) more effectively than interscalene block (ISB). However, these approaches are associated with a high incidence of HDP. The costoclavicular block (CCB) provides effective analgesia while reducing HDP. Here, we hypothesized that CCB would decrease the incidence of HDP compared to ISB while still providing effective pain relief after surgery., Methods: Seventy patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were randomly allocated to receive either ultrasound-guided CCB (n = 35) or ISB (n = 35). Each group received 0.2% ropivacaine (20 ml CCB, 10 ml ISB). The primary outcome was the incidence of HDP, as measured using M-mode ultrasound. Diaphragmatic excursion, pulmonary function test results, opioid consumption, and pain scores were evaluated., Results: Sixty-six patients were included. CCB group had a significantly lower incidence of HDP than those in the ISB group (5.9% vs. 84.4%, P < 0.001). The diaphragmatic excursion reduction was significantly more in the ISB (3.87 cm) group than in the CCB (0.25 cm) group (P < 0.001). The decrease in forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 s from baseline was significantly greater in the ISB. There was no significant difference in opioid consumption between the two groups during the entire postoperative period., Conclusions: Compared with ISB, CCB significantly reduced the incidence of HDP while maintaining effective analgesia and causing less pulmonary function impairment. CCB may be a viable option for diaphragmatic-sparing analgesia after shoulder surgery.

Objectives: Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of superior hypogastric nerve plexus (SHNP) block in postoperative pain management in the first 24 h after minimally invasive gynecological (MIG) surgeries., Methods: We conducted a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at a tertiary care centre from May 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023 in women undergoing major MIG surgeries. At the completion of the surgery, women were randomized to the intervention group who received SHNP block with ropivacaine 10 mL (0.75%) before port removal, whereas no intervention was taken in the control group. The extubation time was noted, and the pain score was assessed after 1, 2, 6, 12, and 24 h of extubation in the postoperative period using the visual analog scale (VAS). Statistical analysis was done, with a significance level of 0.05, to test the differences between the two groups., Results: A total of 64 patients were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. The median pain score was lower at 1 and 2 h post-extubation and comparable between the two groups at 6, 12, and 24 h. The surrogate markers that is need for additional analgesia and duration of stay did not differ significantly in the two groups, with P-values of 0.08 and 0.943, respectively., Conclusion: Although the SHNP group experienced considerably lower immediate postoperative pain levels in the initial hours following extubation, the impact of this benefit remains uncertain in the longer postoperative period. The effectiveness of this modality for pain control needs further study, particularly at later postoperative hours., (© 2024 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Background: Interscalene catheters (ISC) are considered as the gold standard for perioperative pain control after total shoulder arthroplasty. Liposomal bupivacaine (LB) for interscalene blocks (ISBs) and the addition of dexamethasone to ISBs have both presented as additional options for extended analgesia. We aimed to compare the efficacy of LB to a single-shot ISB (SISB) with added dexamethasone to an ISC. We hypothesized that a single injection of LB or an ISB with dexamethasone would provide noninferior duration and quality of analgesia compared with an ISC., Methods: A single-center triple-blinded randomized controlled trial evaluated patients who underwent elective primary total shoulder arthroplasty. Patients were randomized to 3 groups: group A (control): 0.5% bupivacaine 15 mL with a rescue catheter left in situ (0.125% bupivacaine infusion), group B: 0.5% bupivacaine 14 mL with 4 mg (1 mL) dexamethasone with a catheter left in situ (saline infusion), group C: 10 mL of LB (133 mg) with 0.5% bupivacaine 5 mL, with a catheter left in situ (saline infusion). The primary outcome was the worst numeric rating scale measured on arrival to the postanesthesia care unit, 6, 12, 24, and 36 hours postoperatively. Secondary outcomes recorded were time to first analgesic request; intraoperative opioid consumption; total inpatient opioid consumption; arm weakness; arm numbness; time of analgesia duration; time of motor recovery; sensory testing using a pinprick on postoperative day 1, q36, and q48; hand strength assessment using a dynamometer on postoperative day 1, q36, and q48; and postanesthesia care unit and hospital length of stay., Results: We analyzed 72 patients in 3 groups (group A 24, group B 24, and group C 24). The presurgery physical function scores were similar between the groups. The change in postoperative pain was not different among the 3 groups. All 3 groups demonstrated an increase in the postoperative values, a change that was not statistically significant between the groups. Likewise, no difference in the mental function score was seen within or between the groups. No differences in sleep quality or satisfaction were seen among the groups (P = .405 and 1.00, respectively). No adverse events were reported in all groups., Conclusions: No significant difference was demonstrated between a single-injection ISB with dexamethasone, an LB injection, and an ISC. Given the equivalence in analgesia provided with these 3 modalities, providers should carefully consider the option that best fits each patient. Thus, a single injection of LB or a single injection of bupivacaine with dexamethasone provides similar analgesic efficacy to an ISC., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Purpose: Intravenous lidocaine is a non-opioid analgesic adjunct for perioperative pain relief. The aim of our study was to explore whether concurrent administration of intravenous lidocaine prolongs the duration of sensory block during total knee replacement (TKR) under spinal anaesthesia., Methods: This prospective randomized double blind controlled trial was conducted on 28 patients (14 in lidocaine group and 14 in the control group) undergoing unilateral TKR under spinal anesthesia. In the lidocaine group, intravenous lidocaine 1.5 mg·kg -1 followed by an infusion of 1.5 mg·kg -1 ·h -1 was administered intraoperatively after spinal anesthesia. The primary outcome was the duration of sensory block of spinal anesthesia. Secondary outcomes included onset time of sensory and motor block, duration of motor block, time to first postoperative analgesic, postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) scores and postoperative analgesia requirement in 24 h after surgery., Results: The duration of sensory and motor block was longer in the lidocaine group (Mean ± SD; 112.50 ± 5.80 min versus 78.21 ± 9.12 min; p < 0.001 and 237.14 ± 9.14 min versus 215.00 ± 10.12 min; p < 0.001, respectively). Time to requirement of first rescue analgesia was 184.29 ± 9.38 min in the lidocaine group and 127.14 ± 23.35 min in the control group (p < 0.001). VAS scores were lower in the lidocaine group at 4, 8, 12 and 24 h after surgery (p < 0.00001, p < 0.00001, p < 0.00006, p = 0.032, respectively). Requirement of additional analgesia in the first 24 h was higher in the control group. There were no clinical signs to suggest lidocaine toxicity in any patient., Conclusion: During unilateral TKR under spinal anaesthesia, concurrent use of intravenous lidocaine prolonged sensory block and reduced postoperative analgesic requirements., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists.)

Purpose of Review: Although there are a lot of studies examining the effects of different blocks for postoperative analgesia after video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), the results are controversial., Recent Findings: Paravertebral block, serratus anterior plane block and erector spinae plane block appear to be effective and beneficial for post-VATS analgesia, but probably in different manners., Summary: All three blocks can be suggested for daily practice, the choice should be based on personal experience and preference of the anesthetist. Better studies are required for objective decision., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: After open heart surgery, patients experience high levels of pain at the sternotomy incision site and around the chest tube(s), affecting their recovery. This study was conducted to determine the effects of local anesthetic application around the sternotomy incision site and chest tube(s) on the amount of opioids used and recovery after surgery in patients undergoing open heart surgery., Methods: This randomized controlled experimental study was conducted with a total of 60 patients, with 30 patients in the experimental group and 30 patients in the control group. In the experimental group, LIDOFAST 40 mg/2 ml + 0.025 mg/2 ml, a local anesthetic agent, was applied to the postoperative sternotomy incision site and around the chest tube(s) in addition to routine treatment. Patients in the control group received only routine treatment. Data were collected using the "Descriptive Characteristics Form" and the "Postoperative Recovery Index"., Results: It was observed that postoperative pain started later, opioid consumption decreased, and postoperative recovery was faster in the experimental group. As the number of chest tubes increased, recovery was delayed in all groups, and as the number of opioids used increased, postoperative recovery was negatively affected in the control group., Conclusions: In this study, local anesthetic application to the sternotomy incision site and around the chest tubes after open heart surgery was found to reduce postoperative opioid consumption and positively affect recovery., Trial Registration: Current Controlled Trials NCT06642077 (Retrospectively registered)., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Before starting the study, approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Van Training and Research Hospital (File Decision No: 2023/19 − 07). Explanations about the voluntary nature of participation were added to the informed consent form. In addition, it was also stated that the personal information of the participants will not be shared with anyone, and care will be taken to comply with the “Privacy and Confidentiality Protection Principle”. The “principle of anonymity and security” was fulfilled by keeping the information obtained and the identity of the respondent confidential. The Helsinki Declaration was upheld. Consent for publication: Explanations were added to the questionnaire form and informed consent form for the participants, indicating that participation was voluntary and written informed consent was obtained from the participants. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is associated with moderate to severe postoperative pain. Pain control is crucial for rapid mobilisation and reduces side effects as well as the length of hospital stay. In this context, a variety of multimodal pain control regimes show good pain relief, including several nerve blocks, iPACK and local infiltration analgesia (LIA). To compare the analgesic potency of LIA and the combination of continuous femoral nerve block + sciatic single-shot nerve block under general anaesthesia, we conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled, non-blinded single-centre study., Method:  139 ASA I-III Patients were enrolled in the study, randomised into two groups. The LIA group received an intra- and periarticular infiltration containing a mix of ropivacaine 0,2%, adrenaline and ketorolac, followed by an infusion of the same mixture for 48 h via an intraarticular catheter. The patients in the FEM group received a combination of continuous femoral nerve block with a catheter using 30 ml prilocaine 1% and ropivacaine 0,2% plus a single-shot sciatic nerve block via an antero-medial approach (landmark-based technique) with 20 ml ropivacaine 0,75%. Postoperative pain scores were analysed during the first two postoperative days, as well as opioid consumption, the degree of knee movement and the occurrence of infections in both groups applying the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test, Friedman chi-square test and the Log-rank-test., Results: No significant difference in pain scores, opioid consumption, time to first rescue analgesia, knee range of motion, age, height, weight and ASA could be detected. No severe side effects, such as secondary bleeding or infections, were reported., Conclusion: Both techniques are well established, provide equal pain relief for TKA and support early postoperative mobilisation., Trial Registration: DRKS 00027145 08/12/2021. "retrospectively registered"., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interests: The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interest to disclose. Ethics approval: Prior to the study, the local ethics review board (Ethical review Committee of the hessian State Chamber of Physicians, Germany) gave its approval, and the study was performed according to the Declaration of Helsinki. (FF 12/2015). Consent to participate: All patients gave their written informed consent to participate. Consent for publication: Not applicable., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Objective: To study the effect of transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block under direct vision with acupoint injection on the rapid recovery of patients after laparoscopic cholecystectomy., Methods: Ninety-three patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy at Hangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2023 to December 2023 were selected and divided into control, TAP block under direct vision (TAP-DV), and TAP-DV with acupoint injection (TAP-DVA) groups using a random number table method. Postoperative VAS, Ramsay score, IL-6, CRP, and postoperative rehabilitation indices were compared among the three groups., Results: The VAS pain score at 6 h after surgery was significantly lower in the TAP-DV and TAP-DVA groups than in the control group (P < 0.05). The VAS pain score at 24 h after surgery was significantly lower in the TAP-DV and TAP-DVA groups than in the control group (P < 0.05) and was significantly lower in the TAP-DVA group than in the TAP-DV group (P < 0.05). The VAS pain score 48 h after surgery was significantly lower in the TAP-DVA group than in the control and TAP-DV groups (P < 0.05). The mean IL-6 level was significantly lower in the TAP-DVA and TAP-DV groups than in the control group (P < 0.05). The postoperative nausea and vomiting rate was significantly lower in the TAP-DVA group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The postoperative exhaust time was earlier in the TAP-DV and TAP-DVA groups than in the control group (P < 0.05) and was earlier in the TAP-DVA group than in the TAP group (P < 0.05). The postoperative hospitalization days and total cost were significantly lower in the TAP-DV and TAP-DVA groups than in the control group (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: TAP-DVA has a stable and good analgesic effect and can promote rapid recovery after laparoscopic cholecystectomy., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background: Surgical intervention is critical in the treatment of hip developmental dysplasia in children. Perioperative analgesia, usually based on high opioid dosages, is frequently used in these patients. In some circumstances, regional anesthetic procedures such as caudal block and lumbar plexus block have also been used. Previous research has shown that pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block provides excellent anesthetic efficacy during open hip surgery in adults. PENG block is thought to provide a similar analgesia effect comparable to caudal block., Methods: This study is a single-center, prospective, randomized, double-blinded, non-inferiority experiment that enrolled children aged 6 months to 7 years who were scheduled for developmental dysplasia hip surgery. Following general anesthesia and regional blocks (0.25% ropivacaine at a dose of 2.5 mg·kg -1 with epinephrine at a concentration of 1:200,000), 48 individuals will be randomly assigned to either the PENG or caudal groups. The primary outcome measure is the highest FLACC (face, legs, activity, crying, consolability) score achieved within 24 h of surgery. Secondary outcomes include intraoperative opioid consumption, analgesic dosage within 24 h of surgery, time to start rescue analgesia, number of PCA pump activations, time to remove SLIPA (streamlined liner of the pharynx airway), duration of regional block procedures, incidence of adverse events, plasma ropivacaine concentrations, and hospital stays and costs. All data will be collected by blinded investigators. The trial's final results will be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal., Discussion: We expect this trial to provide some evidences that PENG block is safe and effective for perioperative analgesia in pediatric patients undergoing open hip surgery., Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100053128. Registered on November 12, 2021., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study protocol is approved by Ethics Committee on Biomedical Research, West China Hospital of Sichuan University (2021-1607). All significant protocol modifications must be approved by the Ethics Committee on Biomedical Research and communicated to relevant parties. The Ethics Committee on Biomedical Research at West China Hospital of Sichuan University will perform audits every 12 months, during which the study progress reports will be reviewed and recommendations for the next research plans will be provided. Guardians provide written, informed consent for their children to participate. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: None., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background: In plastic surgery, costal cartilage is an excellent support material. However, postoperative pain from costal cartilage harvesting can impact patient recovery and satisfaction with the surgery. Recent reports have shown that methylene blue (MB) is an effective local analgesic in postoperative management., Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of MB for pain relief in patients undergoing costal cartilage harvesting., Methods: A total of 106 patients undergoing costal cartilage harvesting surgery were selected from the plastic surgery department between December 2022 and March 2024. They were randomly divided into 2 groups: the MB group and the ropivacaine group, with 53 patients in each group. Pain levels were assessed with a numerical rating scale, the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), arm elevation angle, and postoperative satisfaction scales at 1 day, 3 days, 5 days, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively., Results: Patients receiving MB exhibited a significant decrease in pain scores from 5 days to 1 month of treatment compared to the ropivacaine group. Additionally, in the MB group there was an improvement in ISI scores from 5 days to 1 month compared to the ropivacaine group. Furthermore, during the 3-month follow-up, the MB group had significant increases in satisfaction scores compared to the control group. Arm elevation angle in the MB group was significantly higher compared to the ropivacaine group at 5 days, 1week, and 1month. No serious adverse events were reported, with only 2 patients experiencing an allergic rash., Conclusions: Methylene blue demonstrated significant pain reduction with minimal adverse effects., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Aesthetic Society. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Appendicectomy is a common procedure in children. Regional anaesthesia helps reduce requirements for opioids and hospital stay and enhances recovery. Laparoscopic-assisted Transversus Abdominus Plane block (L-TAP) was shown to be efficient and potentially superior to port site infiltration (PSI); however, this was not previously studied in paediatric appendicitis. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of L-TAP compared to PSI in children undergoing laparoscopic appendicectomy (LA)., Methods: A single-blinded RCT was performed to compare L-TAP to PSI with 0.25% plain bupivacaine at the end of an LA. Patients aged 6-16 years diagnosed with uncomplicated acute appendicitis (AAST grade 1) were randomised to either group in a 1:1 fashion. Complicated appendicitis, open or Lap-converted to open appendicectomies, were excluded. Outcome measures included the total amount and number of doses of opiates and clonidine required, length of stay (LOS), and visual analogue score (VAS) of pain., Results: 49 patients in the PSI group and 41 in the L-TAP group were included; the mean age was 11.3 ± 2.4 years. There was no significant difference in age and weight between the groups. One patient in each group required opioid-based patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) in the theatre recovery room; however, on retrospective review, this was not clinically warranted. Seven patients in each group required morphine while in recovery (p = 0.4). There was no significant difference in total morphine (PSI 0.12 vs L-TAP 0.04 mg/kg body weight, p = 0.1) and clonidine (PSI 0.57 vs L-TAP 0.59 micro gm/kg body weight, p = 0.5) requirement during the hospital stay. Patients in the L-TAP group had two hours shorter LOS than the PSI group (38.0 ± 3.9 vs 39.7 ± 4.1, p = 0.38). There was no significant difference in VAS scores., Conclusion: There was no difference between L-TAP and PSI. L-TAP was feasible, easy to earn, and safe. We recommend that it be considered in clinical protocols and local guidelines as part of the peri-operative analgesia regimen, especially when ultra-sound guided blocks are unavailable. Overall, patients with uncomplicated appendicitis who undergo LA have low VAS scores and require mostly simple analgesia., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: Minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) is important for enhanced recovery in cardiac surgery. However, the incidence of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) is high and is associated with worsened quality of recovery and life, as well as raised short-term or long-term mortality. The mechanism is not clear, and there is still a lack of safe and effective preventive measures., Methods and Analysis: The Paravertebral Adjunctive Dexamethasone Palmitate Reducing chronic pain After cardiac surgery (PANDORA) trial is a parallel-group, double-blinded, randomised controlled, single-centre study recruiting 902 participants undergoing MICS. Participants will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to dexamethasone palmitate (D-PAL) emulsion group and dexamethasone (DSP) group. To investigate the effect of a single bolus perineural administration of D-PAL as an adjuvant treatment to a standard thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) with ropivacaine decreases the incidence of CPSP in adult patients as compared with single bolus perineural administration of DSP combined with ropivacaine in TPVB. The primary endpoint is the incidence of chronic postoperative pain at 3 months following surgery defined as per the updated International Classification of Diseases. CPSP is defined as a new development of pain or increase in the intensity of pain at the surgical area or projected onto the innervation area of a nerve in this area after a surgical procedure that persists for at least 3 months. The nature and intensity of pain will be evaluated with a Brief Pain Inventory Short Form (BPI-SF) questionnaire., Ethics and Dissemination: The trial was approved by the Ethics Committee of Xijing Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University (KY20232194-C-1). Results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals and presented at academic meetings., Trial Registration Number: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05920967., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.)

General anaesthesia (GA) as a pharmacological behaviour management strategy may be indicated for dental extractions in children unable to cooperate in the dental chair. Pain is the most common postoperative complication in children following dental GA. There is conflicting evidence available on the efficacy of local anaesthetic (LA) agents for postoperative pain management following dental extraction. Therefore, this review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of different pharmacological analgesic techniques on postoperative pain following dental extractions under GA in children. A search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus and CINAHL was conducted on 17/10/2023 to identify studies eligible for inclusion in this review. Two independent reviewers performed search screening, data extraction and critical appraisal. Results were narratively described due to heterogeneity of pain assessment tools and management strategies. The search yielded 8742 results, of which 15 studies were included. Methods of pain assessment varied greatly across included studies, with 14 different pain scales used across the 15 studies. Included studies suggest preoperative oral paracetamol and oral ibuprofen as well as postoperative topical bupivacaine lowered pain scores. This review underscores the challenges in reliably assessing pain in children and highlights the necessity for age-specific validated pain assessment tools., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2025 Emily Xin Yi Ting et al. Pain Research and Management published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: While surgeons agree that perioperative field blocks should be performed for open inguinal hernia surgery, there lacks consensus in the minimally invasive context. Prior small-scale randomized trials study pain scores only up to 24 h postoperatively. Thus, we sought to investigate the analgesic benefits of a bupivacaine transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in the first 4 postoperative days., Methods: This is a prospective single-institution randomized control trial involving patients undergoing elective totally extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repairs, who received either a TAP block with bupivacaine 0.25% or saline placebo. Postoperatively, patients completed a pain survey (based on a 0-10 visual analog score) and an opioid/non-opioid pain medication log. Differences were detected using a Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables, and a Fisher's exact test or chi-squared for categorical variables., Results: A total n = 90 patients were included in the per-protocol analysis, of which n = 46 received TAP blocks with bupivacaine versus n = 44 placebo. Patient characteristics were similar between the groups, including recurrent hernias and number of tacks placed (p > 0.05). All cases were bilateral. Postoperatively, pain scores (at rest and with movement) and pain medication use were similar for all postoperative days 1-4., Conclusion: Our study shows no significant difference in pain or opioid requirement within the first 4 days postoperatively, suggesting that the analgesic benefits of plain bupivacaine TAP blocks in totally extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repairs do not exist beyond the recovery unit. This will help inform anesthesiologists and patients in discussing risks and benefits of a TAP block in their surgical context., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Ethical standard: This study was approved by our institutional review board and registered with Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05672680). Consent to participate: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.)

Tonsillectomy is one of the most common operations. Tonsillectomy is also one of the most painful surgical procedures. However, there is still no satisfactory standard for postoperative pain management. Four databases (Cochrane Library, Ovid Technologies, PubMed, Web of Science) were searched for the period from 1908 to 2019. The systematic literature review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Data were pooled using random-effects and fixed-effects models. Randomized controlled trials, reviews and meta-analyses were included. Primary outcomes were quantitative pain intensity in the first 24 h after tonsillectomy and on days 1, 3, and 7 postoperatively. The search yielded 1594 publications, of which 111 publications with 7566 patients, both children and adults, could be included. Intraoperative medication with intravenous dexamethasone significantly reduced pain (mean difference [MD] -0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.61- -0.24). Among the local anesthetics, only the preoperative injection of levobupivacaine into the tonsillar compartment was able to provide sufficient pain reduction up to three days after tonsillectomy (MD: -1.92; 95% CI: -2.73 - -1.11). Preoperative or intraoperative administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) significantly reduced pain (MD: -0.75; 95% CI: -0.87- -0.63). Steroids and NSAIDs are an important part of pain management after tonsillectomy., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background: Postoperative pain remains a significant problem in patients undergoing donor nephrectomy despite reduced tissue trauma following laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy (LLDN). Inadequately treated pain leads to physiological and psychological consequences, including chronic neuropathic pain., Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled double-blinded trial was conducted in sixty-nine (n = 69) participants who underwent LLDN under general anesthesia. Participants were randomized into Group B (n = 34) and Group C (n = 35). Group B received ultrasound-guided bilateral erector spinae plane block (ESPB) with bupivacaine 0.125% 20 ml on the surgical side and 10 ml on the contralateral side before extubation, while Group C received wound infiltration with bupivacaine 0.125% 15 ml. The primary objective of the study was to compare cumulative 24-hour morphine consumption postoperatively. The secondary objectives were time to first rescue analgesia, visual numeric rating scale (VNRS) pain scores at rest and during movement, incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and complications associated with ESPB., Results: Participants in Group B required significantly less median (IQR) 24-hour morphine compared to Group C [6 (6-9) mg vs. 15 (12-15) mg; median difference 9; 95% CI in median difference 6-12; p < 0.001), longer median (IQR) time to first rescue analgesia [6 (6-8) hours vs. 1 (1-2) hours; p < 0.001], and lower VNRS at rest and during movement at baseline, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24 hours., Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided ESPB provided effective pain relief compared to wound infiltration with local anaesthetic in patients who underwent LLDN., Trial Registration: INT/IEC/2021/SPL-514; CTRI/2021/07/045909., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Institute Ethics Committee PGIMER Chandigarh approval was obtained wide ref no: INT/IEC/2021/SPL-514. A written informed consent was obtained from all the study participants. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background: Laparoscopic radical gastrectomy has been reported to be associated with substantial trauma and pain. This study compared the impact of ultrasound-(US)-guided, bilateral, double-injection intertransverse process block (ITPB) on postoperative analgesia with subcostal transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB) in patients who were undergoing laparoscopic radical gastrectomy., Methods: Sixty-two patients who were undergoing laparoscopic radical gastrectomy surgery under general anesthesia were included. These patients were randomized to either the ITPB group or the TAPB group. Patients in the ITPB group received a double-shot US-guided bilateral ITPB at the thoracic level T6/7 and T9/10 level using ropivacaine (0.3%, 15 mL). Patients in the TAPB group received bilateral subcostal TAPB one injection per side using ropivacaine (0.3%, 30 mL). All patients used a BIS-guided combined intravenous and inhalation anesthesia. The primary outcome was defined as postoperative morphine-equivalent consumption during the first 24 h., Results: The study recruited 62 patients (31 in each group) for the analysis. A comparatively less postoperative opioid consumption was observed in the ITPB group compared with the subcostal TAPB group within the first 24 h postoperatively (mean [standard deviation-(SD)] morphine-equivalent dose): 27.8 (5.7) mg vs 31.2 (4.4) mg, P < 0.001. The ITPB group showed lower intraoperative opioid use, and statistical significantly lower scores at rest and coughing at 6, 24 h postoperatively. The time to first requiring rescue analgesia was longer in the ITPB group than the subcostal TAPB group (median [IQR]): 8.0 [8.0] vs 6.0 [6.0] h, P = 0.009. The patients in the ITPB group exhibited earlier independent movement, lower incidence of postoperative complications and higher levels of satisfaction (P = 0.021)., Conclusion: This study showed that the double-shot bilateral ITPB could reduce opioids consumption and achieve longer and better pain relief. Additionally, it promoted early postoperative activity and improved patient satisfaction., Trial Registration: ChiCTR2300072986. Registered 29 June 2023., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Yancheng First People's Hospital (2023-k-089, 17/06/2023). All patients provided signed informed consent forms. The trial registration number was as follows: ChiCTR2300072986, date of registration: 29/06/2023. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Purpose of Review: The rhomboid intercostal and subserratus plane (RISS) block is an effective, safer alternative for managing postoperative acute pain following abdominal surgeries. The RISS block offers several advantages over traditional approaches, including reduced incidence of puncture-related complications, lower rates of systemic opioid consumption, and more consistent analgesic coverage of lower thoracic dermatomes., Recent Findings: Despite a favorable safety profile, the RISS block carries potential risks, such as pneumothorax and local anesthetic systemic toxicity, particularly when long-acting anesthetics such as bupivacaine or ropivacaine are used. Careful administration with ultrasound guidance minimizes these risks, enhancing patient safety. Compared to epidural and paravertebral blocks, RISS is associated with fewer instances of nerve damage, hemodynamic instability, and bleeding. Research suggests that RISS not only improves postoperative pain scores, but also extends duration of analgesic effect, reducing total opioid use by nearly 40%., Conclusion: Future directions include clinical trials to validate efficacy across diverse patient populations, comparative studies with other regional blocks, and evaluations of long-term outcomes. Expanding our understanding of RISS block application may help advance multimodal pain management protocols, underscoring potential to improve recovery, reduce opioid dependency, and elevate patient quality of life in postoperative settings., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing Interests: ADK and CLR are the section editors for CPHRs., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: Effective postoperative analgesia is critical for thoracic surgery. This study compares the analgesic efficacy of the erector spinae plane block (ESPB), retrolaminar block (RLB), and paravertebral block (TPVB) in single-incision video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (SITS)., Methods: Seventy-six patients underwent general anesthesia followed by ultrasound-guided nerve blocks with 20 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine. Primary outcomes included the area under the curve (AUC) of numeric rating scale (NRS) scores during rest and coughing over 24 hours. Secondary outcomes included perioperative opioid use, plasma biomarkers, and postoperative recovery measures., Results: The AUC for NRS was 107.8±10.53 in the ESPB group, 104.8±8.05 in the RLB group, and 103.6±10.42 in the TPVB group, demonstrating noninferiority for ESPB (difference: 4.2±3.0, 95% CI: -1.82 to 10.22) and RLB (difference: 1.2±2.6, 95% CI: -3.97 to 6.37) compared with TPVB. No statistically significant differences were observed in opioid use, plasma biomarkers, QoR-15 scores, or adverse events., Discussion: ESPB and RLB provide noninferior analgesia compared with TPVB in SITS patients and are effective alternatives that enhance safety., Competing Interests: This research was supported by Science and Technology Department of Yunnan Province project fund (Grant NO.202101AY070001-133, 202401AY070001-230). The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The efficacy of superficial cervical plexus blocks for reducing persistent pain after craniotomies remains unclear. The authors tested the primary hypothesis that preoperative ultrasound-guided superficial cervical plexus blocks reduce persistent pain 3 months after suboccipital craniotomies., Methods: A single-center randomized and blinded parallel-group trial was conducted. Eligible patients having suboccipital craniotomies were randomly allocated to superficial cervical plexus blocks with 10 ml 0.5% ropivacaine or a comparable amount of normal saline. Injections were into the superficial layer of prevertebral fascia. The primary outcome was the incidence of persistent pain three months after surgery., Results: From November 2021 to August 2023, a total of 292 qualifying patients were randomly allocated to blocks with ropivacaine (n = 146) or saline (n = 146). The average ± SD age of participating patients was 45 ± 12 yr, and the duration of surgery was 4.2 ± 1.3 h. Persistent pain 3 months after surgery was reported by 48 (34%) of patients randomized to ropivacaine versus 73 (51%) in those assigned to saline (relative risk, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.50 to 0.88; P = 0.003) in the per-protocol population, and by 53 (36%) of patients randomized to ropivacaine versus 77 (53%) in those assigned to saline (relative risk, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.90; P = 0.005) in the intention-to-treat population., Conclusions: Superficial cervical plexus blocks reduce the incidence of persistent incisional pain by about a third in patients recovering from suboccipital craniotomies., (Copyright © 2024 American Society of Anesthesiologists. All Rights Reserved.)

The objective of this study was to evaluate owner assessment of appetite, demeanor, and mouth soreness following dental extractions in dogs receiving either bupivacaine hydrochloride (BH) or liposomal encapsulated bupivacaine (LEB) for dental blocks. Thirty healthy, adult dogs requiring dental extractions were enrolled in the study. All procedures were completed with dogs under general anesthesia. A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug was administered subcutaneously in the preoperative period. Dogs were randomly assigned to receive BH or LEB. An owner assessment to evaluate appetite, demeanor, and soreness of mouth was completed at the end of both the first and second day after discharge from the hospital. The total of the owner assessments for day 1 and both days combined was significantly lower for dogs receiving LEB ( P  = .007). There were no differences in the number of extractions ( P  = .21), time from block to evaluations ( P  = .07), in-hospital pain assessments ( P  = .99), or number of dogs requiring rescue analgesia ( P  = .99). This study concluded, dogs that received LEB for dental blocks had improved appetite and demeanor, and reduced soreness of mouth, as evaluated by the owner two days postoperatively, when compared to dogs who received BH., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the analgesic effects and safety of multidrug cocktail injections for postoperative pain management in patients undergoing lumbar microendoscopic decompression surgery., Methods: A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted with 70 patients who underwent lumbar microendoscopic decompression surgery between December 2023 and May 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either a multidrug cocktail injection (cocktail group, n = 35) or no cocktail injection (non-cocktail group, n = 35). Primary outcomes included scores of the numerical rating scale (NRS) for pain from postoperative days 1 to 7 and the number of analgesics used within the first 3 postoperative days. Secondary outcomes included sex, age, body mass index, preoperative diagnosis, surgical levels, duration of surgery, blood loss, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels on postoperative day 1, and drain output., Results: The cocktail group experienced significantly lower pain levels from postoperative days 1 to 7 (p < 0.05) and used fewer analgesics within the first 3 days (p = 0.01) compared with the non-cocktail group. Additionally, the cocktail group had significantly lower CRP levels (p < 0.001) and a shorter hospital stay (p = 0.01). No significant differences were observed in the duration of surgery, blood loss, or drain output between the groups., Conclusion: Multidrug cocktail injections are effective and safe for postoperative pain management in lumbar microendoscopic decompression surgery, significantly reducing pain, analgesic use, CRP levels, and hospital stay. These findings suggest that incorporating multidrug cocktail injections into postoperative care protocols can enhance patient recovery and outcomes., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Ethics approval: All patient procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Research Ethics Committee of Shingu Municipal Medical Center (approval number: 105–1) and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all participants. Consent to publish: All patients signed informed consent regarding publishing their data and photographs., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: We aimed to determine if the use of intrathecal (IT) hydromorphone and/or liposomal bupivacaine (LB) decreased the amount of postoperative and post-discharge opioids for pediatric patients undergoing fusion (PSF) surgery to treat adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS)., Methods: A retrospective review of AIS patients undergoing PSF surgery was conducted. Hospital LOS, and inpatient and post-discharge opioid use were compared. Opioid use was reported as oral morphine equivalents (OMEs)., Results: Three groups were formed from 186 patients: the control (CG) (n = 39), the IT hydromorphone only (IT) (n = 58), and the liposomal bupivacaine with intrathecal hydromorphone (LB + IT) group (n = 89). The mean LOS were 4.8, 4.2, and 3.5 days for the CG, IT, and LB + IT groups, respectively, with the LB + IT group being shorter than both the CG (p < 0.001) and IT groups (p < 0.001). The mean inpatient OMEs were 106.3/day, 69.2/day, and 30.0/day for the CG, IT, and LB + IT groups, respectively, with each group being significantly different than each other (all pairwise comparisons, p < 0.001). The mean total OMEs that patients were prescribed post-discharge were 693.6 in the CG, 581.1 in the IT, and 359.4 in the LB + IT group (F(2,183) = 14.5, p < 0.001), with the LB + IT group being prescribed significantly less than both the IT (p = 0.003) and CG groups (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Both the use of IT hydromorphone and LB were associated with shortened LOS and fewer total and per day in-hospital OMEs; however, the group who received both IT and LB (LB + IT) had the greatest decrease in LOS, and both inpatient and post-discharge OME usage., Level of Evidence: Level III (retrospective comparative study)., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: Natalie Pulido, Todd Milbrandt, William Shaughnessy, Anthony Stans, and Emmanouil Grigoriou have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose in relation to this article. A. Noelle Larson, MD reports consulting activities with all funding to Mayo with Medtronic, Orthopediatrics, Pacira, ZimVie, Depuy Synthes, Globus, and royalties through Mayo with Globus. Ethical approval: IRB approval was obtained for all aspects of this study., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Scoliosis Research Society.)

Objective: To explore the impact of perioperative intravenous (IV) paracetamol, administered with caudal ropivacaine on the quality of postoperative recovery in children undergoing hypospadias repair., Study Design: Double-blinded randomised controlled trial. Place and Duration of the Study: The operating room, post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU), and paediatric surgical ward at the Aga Khan University Hospital, from 31st January 2019 to 1st May 2022., Methodology: Children aged 3-10 years undergoing hypospadias repair were randomly divided into two groups. Group P was administered IV paracetamol 15 mg/kg an hour before the completion of the repair procedure. Group C received a placebo instead of paracetamol. Modified Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale (CHEOPS) was measured at 15 and 30 minutes, and at 1, 2, 4, and 6 hours postoperatively. The sedation score was documented for four hours postoperatively., Results: Out of total 59 children included in the analysis, 55% (n = 16) in the Group P and 45% (n = 13) in the Group C needed additional analgesia within the first six hours post-procedure. No significant variations were observed between the groups' CHEOPS scores and sedation levels., Conclusion: The addition of perioperative intravenous paracetamol 15 mg/kg in combination with 0.25% ropivacaine through the caudal route, along with general anaesthesia, did not significantly affect the quality of postoperative recovery in children measured by pain score and sedation., Key Words: Intravenous paracetamol, Caudal analgesia, Ropivacaine, Paediatric patients.

Background: Colorectal resections are associated with a pronounced inflammatory response, severe postoperative pain, and postoperative ileus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the main effects of lidocaine and ketamine, and their interaction in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients after open surgery. The interaction could be additive if the effect of 2 drugs given in combination equals the sum of their individual effects, or multiplicative if their combined effect exceeds the sum of their individual effects. We hypothesized that the combination of lidocaine and ketamine might reduce the inflammatory response additively or synergistically., Methods: Eighty-two patients undergoing elective open colorectal resection were randomized to receive either lidocaine or placebo and either ketamine or placebo in a 2 × 2 factorial design. After induction of general anesthesia, all subjects received an intravenous bolus (lidocaine 1.5 mg/kg and/or ketamine 0.5 mg/kg and/or a matched saline volume) followed by a continuous infusion (lidocaine 2 mg·kg -1 ·h -1 and/or ketamine 0.2 mg·kg -1 ·h -1 and/or a matched saline volume) until the end of surgery. Primary outcomes were serum levels of white blood cell (WBC) count, interleukins (IL-6, IL-8), and C-reactive protein (CRP) measured at 2 time points: 12 and 36 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative opioid consumption; visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores at 2, 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours postoperatively; cumulative analgesic consumption within 48 hours after surgery; and time to first bowel movement. We assessed the main effects of each of lidocaine and ketamine and their interaction on the primary outcomes using linear regression analyses. A Bonferroni-adjusted significance level was set at .05/8 = .00625 for primary analyses., Results: No statistically significant differences were observed with either lidocaine or ketamine intervention in any of the measured inflammatory markers. No multiplicative interaction between the 2 treatments was confirmed at 12 or 36 hours after surgery: WBC count, P = .870 and P = .393, respectively; IL-6, P = .892 and P = .343, respectively; IL-8, P = .999 and P = .996, respectively; and CRP, P = .014 and P = .445, respectively. With regard to inflammatory parameters, no evidence of additive interactions was found. Lidocaine and ketamine, either together or alone, significantly reduced intraoperative opioid consumption versus placebo, and, except for lidocaine alone, improved pain scores. Neither intervention significantly influenced gut motility., Conclusions: Our study results do not support the use of an intraoperative combination of lidocaine and ketamine in patients undergoing open surgery for CRC., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 International Anesthesia Research Society.)

Safe, effective pain management remains one of the biggest challenges following surgical procedures. Despite widespread recognition of this problem and advances in the mechanistic understanding of pain signaling, post-surgical pain is often undermanaged, with opioid use remaining the clinical standard. As an alternative to current oral, systemic treatments, a degradable bupivacaine-loaded poly(ester urea) (PEU) thin film has been developed to deliver bupivacaine directly to the site of injury over an extended duration. The dose and duration of bupivacaine delivery is controlled using polymer composition and bupivacaine concentration. Systemic bupivacaine concentrations are more than an order of magnitude lower when delivered locally versus intravenous injection. Tissue analysis showed that the majority of bupivacaine is deposited into subcutaneous tissue directly surrounding the implant. Bupivacaine concentration in soft tissue around the implant are 30-fold higher than plasma values, indicating that release from PEU implants remains localized. Bupivacaine-loaded PEU films are assessed into two established mouse models for diabetic neuropathic pain and post-surgical incisional pain. In each model, bupivacaine eluting PEU films effectively block pain for 3-5 days before returning to baseline levels without loss of motor function and without signs of neurotoxicity., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: Intravenous lignocaine has been used as an analgesic adjunct in pediatric surgical patients, although its efficacy is still unclear., Objective: We aimed to clarify the efficacy of perioperative intravenous lignocaine (bolus followed by an infusion) on pediatric postoperative pain outcomes., Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis., Data Sources: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Google Scholar (inception to June 2024)., Eligibility Criteria: Studies involving pediatric patients (≤18 years) undergoing surgery under general anesthesia with one group receiving perioperative intravenous lignocaine (bolus followed by infusion) and the other group receiving placebo. The primary outcome was 24-h postoperative opioid consumption. Postoperative pain scores and the need for rescue analgesia were the secondary outcomes., Results: Seven studies (n = 415) were included in the final meta-analysis. The use of intravenous lignocaine significantly reduced the morphine consumption in the first 24 h after surgery, compared to placebo (SMD -1.31, 95% CI -2.18 to -0.43, p = 0.003). A meta-analysis could not be performed for the secondary outcomes., Conclusion: There is low quality evidence to suggest that perioperative intravenous lignocaine bolus followed by an infusion significantly reduced the opioid consumption on the first postoperative day in pediatric surgical patients. The effects of perioperative lignocaine on postoperative pain scores and the need for rescue analgesia are uncertain., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The adductor canal block is a well-known procedure for controlling postoperative pain after medial malleolus fracture surgery. Continuous nerve block is a viable option for blocking pain for a longer period although the literature on this subject is scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to compare continuous adductor canal block (cACB) group to single-injection adductor canal block (sACB) group in those with bimalleolar or trimalleolar ankle fractures. The procedure was performed in addition to a continuous sciatic nerve block for postoperative pain relief and patient satisfaction., Methods: The study included 57 patients who had bimalleolar or trimalleolar ankle fractures and underwent open reduction and internal fixation between August 2016 and June 2018. Each patient received a continuous sciatic nerve block and was divided into two groups: those who received cACB and those who received sACB. Each postoperative pain was scored at 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after surgery. Additionally, the consumption of rescue medications and patient satisfaction were evaluated., Results: The two groups displayed no disparity in medial side ankle pain at 4 h and 8 h after surgery, but significantly higher pain in the sACB group at 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after surgery. However, there was no difference in the pain at the lateral side of ankle and consumption of rescue medication. In addition, the cACB group showed more satisfaction than the sACB group did., Conclusion: CACB is better than sACB in terms of postoperative pain control and patient satisfaction. cACB can be used for postoperative pain control in ankle fractures involving the medial malleolus., Level of Evidence: Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial, Level 2., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Rebound pain is believed to involve both nociceptive pain due to insufficient analgesia and hyperalgesia induced by regional anesthesia. Adjuvant's addition could prevent rebound pain. This study aimed to determine if the addition of dexamethasone or clonidine to local anesthetic when performing interscalene block could prevent rebound pain., Methods: This was a multicenter, prospective, parallel grouping, randomized clinical trial conducted with patients receiving a single injection of bupivacaine 0.375% in interscalene block ultrasound guided and general anesthesia for shoulder surgery were randomly assigned to either no additives (control), clonidine (30 mcg), or dexamethasone (4 mg). The primary outcome was rebound pain, defined as sudden onset of pain, moderate to severe intensity (VAS ≥7) without improvement with oral medication, followed by VAS pain at rest, required rescue analgesia, the occurrence of adverse events or complications, and satisfaction survey assessments between groups. Rebound pain and pain at rest were assessed 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after the procedure., Results: The incidence of rebound pain was not statistically different between groups (p-value = 0.22), with an observed incidence of 41.2% (95% CI 25.9‒57.9), 28.6% (95% CI 16.7‒43.3), and 23.3% (95% CI 12.6‒37.6) in the control, dexamethasone, and clonidine groups, respectively. Additionally, there were no significant differences between the groups in time, from anesthetic blockade to first complaint of pain or the severity of postoperative pain., Conclusion: The administration of dexamethasone or clonidine as perineural adjuncts to local anesthesia in single-injection interscalene blocks did not significantly reduce the incidence of rebound pain., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Published by Elsevier España S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Breast-conserving surgery is a common breast operation type in the world. Patients may feel severe postoperative pain after the surgery. Several regional anesthesia methods are used for postoperative pain control as a part of multimodal analgesia management after breast surgery. Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) and rhomboid intercostal plane block (RIB) are commonly used techniques for this purpose. The studies that compare these methods are limited. Therefore, we aimed to compare the efficacy of ESPB and RIB., Methods: This prospective, randomized study included sixty female patients with ASA class I-II physical status in the study. All patients underwent general anesthesia. We performed the blocks at the end of the surgery before extubation. Participants were randomized into two groups between the operation: the Group ESPB (n=30) and the Group RIB (n=30). We performed 30 ml volume of 0.25% bupivacaine for the blocks. 400 mg ibuprofen 3x1 was ordered postoperatively, and a fentanyl PCA device (2 ml bolus, 0 ml infusion, 20 min lock time, 4 hour limit) was attached intravenously to the participants. If the pain score was ≥4, meperidine (0.5 mg/kg) was performed., Results: There were no differences in terms of demographical data. The postoperative opioid use, pain scores, adverse events, and the need for rescue analgesia were similar between groups., Conclusion: Both RIB and ESPB are effective regional anesthesia techniques following breast surgery. They are simple and safe methods. Anesthesiologists may prefer one or the other based on their clinical experience.

Background: Aesthetic breast surgeries, including breast reduction, are commonly performed surgical procedures associated with postoperative pain. Pain control is essential to patient comfort, satisfaction, and early recovery. This systematic review is the first to conduct both qualitative and quantitative analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of local anesthetic infiltration in reducing pain after breast reduction surgeries., Methods: This systematic review is registered in PROSPERO, assessed for bias using the RoB2 tool, and follows the PRISMA guidelines. A full electronic search was performed in different databases for all clinical papers on adult female patients undergoing cosmetic breast reduction surgery who were given local anesthetic infiltration for postoperative pain relief., Results: A systematic review of five randomized clinical trials with a total of 191 patients found that local anesthetic infiltration significantly reduces postoperative pain in breast reduction surgery, reduces opioid consumption, and improves patient outcomes. A meta-analysis of two trials reported the mean VAS score for postoperative pain in the local anesthetic and placebo groups., Conclusion: A systematic review and a meta-analysis show a significant reduction in postoperative pain following local anesthetic infiltration, but further research is needed to understand its effectiveness and potential adverse effects., Level of Evidence I: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 ., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Human and Animal Rights, or Ethical Approval: This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors. Informed Consent: For this type of study, informed consent is not required., (© 2024. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature and International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of liposomal bupivacaine (LB) as part of an opioid-sparing multimodal analgesic protocol on postoperative pain control in cats undergoing limb amputation surgery compared with traditional pain management protocols more heavily reliant on injectable opioid and non-opioid analgesics., Methods: Medical records of 29 cats that underwent forelimb or hindlimb amputation were reviewed to evaluate postoperative systemic pain medications utilized, appetite and time to discharge as presumptive gauges of postoperative pain. Statistical analysis of the data included Wilcoxon's rank-sum test and Fisher's exact test., Results: Of the 29 cats, seven (24%) did not receive LB and 22 (76%) did. No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in the outcome variables evaluated. The median time to eating was similar (6.0 h in the LB group vs 5.0 h in the non-LB group), the median time to discharge was shorter in the LB group (25.0 h vs 42.0 h in the non-LB group) and the median time to discontinuation of opioids in the LB treatment group was shorter than the non-LB group (18.0 h in LB group vs 22.0 h non-LB). A lower proportion of the LB group needed adjuvant systemic analgesics compared with the non-LB group (5% LB vs 29% non-LB)., Conclusions and Relevance: The addition of liposomal bupivacaine to an analgesic protocol after limb amputation in cats is associated with reduced opioid dosing, earlier return to eating and earlier hospital discharge. The use of LB may minimize the negative side effects associated with systemic opioid administration and therefore decrease patient morbidity. Future studies are needed to definitively compare LB efficacy and safety for postoperative pain control and traditional systemic analgesic medications., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of adding epidural dexmedetomidine to low-concentration patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) on pain control and side effects in total knee arthroplasty (TKA)., Methods: In this double-blind study, American Society of Anesthesiologists I to II patients undergoing TKA were assigned to receive 0.125% bupivacaine + fentanyl 4 µg/mL (group R) or 0.1% bupivacaine + fentanyl 2 µg/mL with an epidural injection of dexmedetomidine 1 µg/kg (group D). The primary outcomes were the effectiveness of postoperative pain control as assessed by the numeric pain rating scale (NRS) and the incidence of side effects. Secondary outcomes included hemodynamic parameters (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate), motor block assessment, sensory block duration, analgesia duration, and the need for additional analgesia., Results: Both groups achieved similar pain control as indicated by NRS scores. However, group D experienced lower rates of urinary retention and pruritus, whereas sedation in the recovery room was greater in group D. Group R had significantly higher systolic pressure in the recovery room. group D exhibited significantly lower heart rates at 5 and 10 minutes., Conclusions: Low-concentration PCEA with epidural dexmedetomidine provides similar analgesia after TKA as high-concentration PCEA with fewer side effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestThe authors declare no conflict of interest in preparing this article.

Adequate perioperative analgesia is essential to optimize recovery in pediatric transplant surgery. Regional anesthesia techniques, such as continuous quadratus lumborum block, have been identified as effective and safe options for managing perioperative pain in pediatric abdominal surgeries. However, data on its use in pediatric kidney transplants are limited. We present a case series of 8 pediatric patients who underwent kidney transplant between January 2022 and April 2024 at our institution because of stage V chronic kidney disease of various etiologies. Four patients had received hemodialysis and 2 had received continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis before transplant. After induction of general anesthesia, quadratus lumborum block was performed before the surgical incision. Patients were positioned in the left lateral decubitus position. Patients had ultrasonographic imaging using the subcostal approach to visualize the lateral abdominal muscle layers. Once the psoas major muscle was identified, an 18-gauge Tuohy needle was inserted 1 to 2 cm lateral to the ultrasonograph probe, targeting the quadratus lumborum muscle. A catheter was subsequently inserted anterior to the quadratus lumborum muscle. Each patient received continuous quadratus lumborum block with either 0.125% bupivacaine at a rate of 4 to 6 mL/hour for 24 hours or 0.2% ropivacaine at a rate of 6 mL/hour as part of a multimodal perioperative pain management protocol. The perioperative pain was effectively managed with minimal need for rescue analgesics, and no substantial adverse events were reported. Quadratus lumborum block is an accessible and safe technique with great potential to facilitate postoperative pain management, especially in pediatric patients undergoing kidney transplant.

Background: There is limited data showing the benefit of liposomal bupivacaine as part of an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol in reducing opioid use in minimally invasive lobectomies., Methods: A retrospective observational study compared 3 cohorts of patients who underwent lobectomies between January 2015 and December 2021. The control group neither received liposomal bupivacaine intraoperatively nor underwent an ERAS protocol. The liposomal bupivacaine cohort only received a nerve block, whereas the ERAS cohort received a nerve block intraoperatively and underwent an ERAS protocol. The primary outcome was postoperative opioid consumption., Results: The study included 433 patients, comprising 87 in the control group, 138 in the liposomal bupivacaine alone cohort, and 208 in the ERAS/liposomal bupivacaine cohort. There was a statistically significant difference in the amount of opioids used between the control (43 oral morphine equivalents [OME]) and liposomal bupivacaine alone cohort (30.5 OME; P < .001), between control vs the ERAS/liposomal bupivacaine cohort (17 OME; P < .001), and between the liposomal bupivacaine alone and ERAS/liposomal bupivacaine cohorts (P < .001). Hospital stay was not statistically different between the 2 groups of interest (3 days); however, hospital stay differed from the control (4 days). Readmission at 30 days was not significantly different between the 3 groups (P = .43)., Conclusions: Liposomal bupivacaine alone as part of a larger ERAS protocol significantly reduced opioid use and hospitalization duration; however, the reduction in opioid use was much greater with incorporation of liposomal bupivacaine into an ERAS protocol rather than in isolation. Prospective studies are needed to determine reproducibility and applicability of liposomal bupivacaine for opioid use reduction in other United States hospital systems., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Investigate the analgesia effects and pharmacokinetics of ropivacaine at different concentrations in Serratus Anterior Plane Block (SAPB) and assess the efficacy and safety., Methods: Thirty-six patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) pulmonary resections were enrolled. Ultrasound-guided SAPB was induced with 3 mg/kg ropivacaine at different concentrations (0.25%, 0.5%, and 0.75%, referred to as Group L, Group M, and Group H, respectively). The concentration of ropivacaine in the plasma at 1, 15, 30, 45, 60 min, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h after SAPB was determined by LC-MS/MS. Other evaluated measures included the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) scores at rest and on movement, the frequency of dermatomes blocked, onset time and effective plane, Quality of Requirements(QoR)-15 scale, chronic postsurgical pain, and the level of IL-6 and IL-8., Findings: The NRS scores were significantly higher in Group L than those in other groups (P < 0.05), indicating that the analgesic effect of Group L was the worst among the three groups. Group H had a lower effective plane of anesthesia and significantly higher incidence of chronic postsurgical pain. The IL-8 level was significantly lower in Group H than in other groups at 1 min, 1 h, and 24 h after SAPB. The ropivacaine concentrations were the highest in Group H, followed by Group M and Group L. The high blood concentration of ropivacaine in Group H may increase the risk of systemic toxicity from local anesthetics. Compared to Group L and Group H, Group M had superior analgesic effects and better safety. Among the three groups, C max , t 1/2 , and AUC 0-∞ differed significantly., Implications: For patients undergoing VATS, using 0.5% ropivacaine for SAPB is recommended., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose of Review: Peripheral nerve blocks are performed using local anesthetics that are commonly performed prior to surgery to either be the sole anesthetic and/or for postoperative pain management. Interscalene blocks are a specific type of nerve block that targets the superior and middle trunks of the brachial plexus inhibiting transmission of pain signals from the upper extremities to the central nervous system making them useful in mitigating pain following surgeries involving the shoulder, upper arm, and elbow., Recent Findings: Previously, interscalene blocks were performed with a nerve stimulator, which is an instrument designed to generate a twitch in surrounding muscles to verify the anesthetic block was placed in the correct location. However, this approach with a nerve stimulator alone is being done less frequently as physicians now often employ ultrasound either by itself or in conjunction with a nerve stimulator to in the block. Several clinical studies have shown that the use of ultrasound leads to improved safety and effectiveness of the interscalene block as compared to performing the block using a nerve stimulator alone. Clinical studies comparing interscalene blocks done with ultrasound versus ultrasound in conjunction with a nerve stimulator have shown the combination to be slightly safer and more efficacious with reduced side effects, though the difference in these metrics between the two is small. Interscalene blocks are highly effective for postoperative pain related to shoulder and upper extremity surgeries. Ultrasound guided blocks are more effective with reduced adverse effects when compared to nerve stimulation alone. The combination of both ultrasound and nerve stimulation allows for increased efficacy and decreaed side effects in limited clinical investigations. Therefore, more studies are needed to further compare and determine best practice interscalene techniques for shoulder and upper extremity surgeries., Competing Interests: Declarations. Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent: This article is based on previously conducted studies and does not contain any new studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors. Competing Interests: ADK and CLR are section editors for CPHR., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Modified thoracoabdominal nerves block through perichondrial approach (M-TAPA) is a trunk block that has been gaining attention for managing postoperative pain following abdominal surgeries since its first report in 2019. We conducted a scoping review on M-TAPA, aiming to comprehensively evaluate existing research, identify the gaps in knowledge, and understand the implications of M-TAPA., Methods: This scoping review was conducted using databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and CINAHL to evaluate the clinical efficacy of M-TAPA on April 19, 2024. Background and outcomes including anesthetized dermatomes, postoperative pain, opioid consumption, quality of recovery, duration to perform, and plasma local anesthetic concentrations were assessed. All reports involving patients, including randomized controlled trials, observational studies, case series, and case reports regarding M-TAPA, were included without language or age restrictions. The included studies were analyzed based on their methodology and clinical relevance., Results: Anesthetized dermatomes were mainly observed in anterior cutaneous branch T7-11. Lateral cutaneous branch T8-10 also anesthetized; however, the probability was lower than anterior cutaneous branch area. M-TAPA has been investigated mostly in laparoscopic cholecystectomy; although its potential to outperform non-block and wound infiltration has been suggested, it did not clearly outperform the transversus abdominis plane block., Conclusions: M-TAPA may be considered a promising technique for postoperative pain management in upper abdominal laparoscopic surgeries. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the precise mechanisms and broader surgical applications., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Intrathecal morphine is increasingly used for pain management in laparoscopic colorectal surgery. While ropivacaine shows advantages of reduced cardiotoxicity and faster motor recovery compared to bupivacaine, the impact of intrathecal morphine-ropivacaine combination on postoperative recovery quality remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate this combination's effect on recovery outcomes after laparoscopic colorectal surgery., Patients and Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 78 patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery received either preservative-free intrathecal morphine 250 μg with ropivacaine 15 mg (Intrathecal group) or a sham subcutaneous saline injection (Control group). The primary outcome was the Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) score 24 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes included pain scores, opioid consumption, and adverse effects., Results: The intrathecal group showed significantly higher QoR-15 scores 24 hours postoperatively compared to the control group (median [IQR]: 121 [109-128] vs 111 [102-116], p < 0.001), with improvements in pain management (p < 0.001), physical comfort (p = 0.001), and physical independence (p = 0.002). The intrathecal group had lower pain scores at rest (area under the curve 0-48 h: 66 [59-90] vs 107 [89-126], p < 0.001) and during coughing (152 [137-172] vs 191 [166-213], p < 0.001), particularly from 0.5 to 24 hours. They also required less postoperative morphine (0-48 h: 10 [6-20] vs 26 [22-36] mg, p < 0.001). While hypotension (43.6% vs 17.9%, p = 0.014) and pruritus (35.9% vs 2.6%, p < 0.001) were more frequent in the intrathecal group, but no respiratory depression occurred in either group., Conclusion: Intrathecal morphine-ropivacaine administration improves 24-hour postoperative recovery quality and provides superior pain relief after laparoscopic colorectal surgery, despite increased but manageable side effects. Further research should focus on dose optimization and comparative studies of different intrathecal local anesthetic combinations., Trial Registration: The Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2100052337., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2024 Yang et al.)

Objective: A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted to investigate the early postoperative analgesic effectiveness of using liposomal bupivacaine (LB) for local infiltration anesthesia (LIA) in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA)., Methods: Between January 2024 and July 2024, a total of 80 patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) who met the selection criteria were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomly assigned to either the LB group or the "cocktail" group in a 1∶1 ratio using a random number table, with 40 patients in each group. Baseline characteristics, including gender, age, body mass index, operated side, Kellgren-Lawrence grade, and preoperative American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, and knee joint range of motion, showed no significant difference between the two groups ( P >0.05). Both groups received LIA and comprehensive pain management. The surgical duration, incision length, pain-related indicators [resting and activity visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, total dosage of oral morphine, WOMAC scores], knee joint range of motion, first ambulation time after operation, length of hospital stay, and postoperative adverse events., Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in surgical duration, incision length, first ambulation time after operation, length of hospital stay, total dosage of oral morphine, and pre-discharge satisfaction with surgery and WOMAC scores ( P >0.05). At 4, 12, and 24 hours after operation, the resting and activity VAS scores in the "cocktail" group were lower than those in the LB group; at 60 and 72 hours postoperatively, the resting VAS scores in the LB group were lower than those in the "cocktail" group, with the activity VAS scores also being lower at 60 hours; all showing significant differences ( P <0.05). There was no significant difference in the above indicators between the two groups at other time points ( P >0.05). On the second postoperative day, the sleep scores of the LB group were significantly higher than those of the "cocktail" group ( P <0.05), while there was no significant difference in sleep scores on the day of surgery and the first postoperative day ( P >0.05). Additionally, the incidence of complications showed no significant difference between the two groups ( P >0.05)., Conclusion: The use of LB for LIA in UKA can provide prolonged postoperative pain relief; however, it does not demonstrate a significant advantage over the "cocktail" method in terms of short-term analgesic effects or reducing opioid consumption and early functional recovery after UKA. Nevertheless, LB may help reduce postoperative sleep disturbances, making it a recommended option for UKA patients with cardiovascular diseases and insomnia or other mental health issues.

Background: Supraclavicular brachial plexus block (SCB) is a common regional analgesic technique for upper limb fracture surgery, but it often leads to rebound pain. Our primary aim is to determine whether different administration methods of esketamine can reduce rebound pain in patients undergoing SCB for upper limb fracture surgery., Methods/design: This study is designed as a single-centre, double-blinded, prospective, randomised controlled trial. Patients undergoing upper limb fracture surgery, who plan to use a tourniquet, aged 18-60 years, with a body mass index of 18-30 kg/m 2 and an American Society of Anaesthesiologists classification of I-III will be randomised into three groups after providing written informed consent: group N (perineural esketamine/ropivacaine); group V (intravenous esketamine/perineural ropivacaine); and group C (perineural ropivacaine). The primary outcome will be the percentage of patients experiencing rebound pain within 24 hours postoperatively. Secondary outcomes include the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score of rebound pain, the onset of rebound pain, (since performing SCB), the cumulative area under the curve of NRS pain severity scores through 48 hours postsurgery, postoperative opioid consumption at 48 hours postoperatively, onset and duration of the sensory blockade, onset and duration of the motor blockade and adverse reactions and adverse events. Patients will be followed-up to 48 hours postoperatively., Discussions: This protocol describes the design of a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effect of different modes of administration of esketamine combined with SCB on the incidence of rebound pain after upper limb fracture surgery. The results may help to identify the most effective methods for managing pain in patients undergoing upper limb fracture surgery., Ethics and Dissemination: This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Deyang People's Hospital (2023-03-010-K01). It was registered on the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry on 24 August 2023. We intend to publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal., Trial Registration Number: ChiCTR2300075083., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objectives: Hysterectomy or myomectomy is a common gynaecological procedure that results in moderate to severe acute postoperative pain, which can cause many adverse effects. This study aimed to compare the postoperative analgesic efficacy, opioid consumption, quality of postoperative recovery (QOR) and adverse reactions of intravenous coinjection of lidocaine and dexmedetomidine versus lidocaine or dexmedetomidine alone in gynaecological surgery., Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis was performed., Data Sources: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases were used to access the articles. Electronic databases were searched for eligible studies published before 1 May 2024., Eligibility Criteria: All randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were included in the final analysis in which the intraoperative intervention group received intravenous coinjection of lidocaine and dexmedetomidine, and the control group received intravenous injection of lidocaine or dexmedetomidine alone in gynaecologic procedures., Data Extraction and Synthesis: Study retrieval, literature screening, data extraction and risk of bias assessment were performed independently by two reviewers. The quality of included studies was assessed by the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias (ROB V.2.0). Data were expressed as standardised mean difference, weighted mean difference or relative risk with 95% CI. Review Manager V.5.4 was used for data analysis., Results: A total of five RCTs were included, involving 672 patients, of which 224 patients received coinjection of lidocaine and dexmedetomidine. The results revealed that coinjection of lidocaine and dexmedetomidine was superior to individual lidocaine in the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores at 1 hour (MD=-0.90, 95% CI (-1.11 to -0.69), p<0.001), 2 hours (MD=-0.99, 95% CI (-1.19 to -0.80), p<0.001), 4 hours (MD=-1.20, 95% CI (-1.75 to -0.66), p<0.001), 6 hours (MD=-1.09, 95% CI (-1.48 to -0.70), p<0.001), 8 hours (MD=-1.22, 95% CI (-1.61 to -0.83), p<0.001) and 12 hours (MD=-0.76, 95% CI (-1.35 to -0.17), p=0.o1) after surgery. Compared with the dexmedetomidine group, the lidocaine+dexmedetomidine group had low VAS scores at 1 hour (MD=-0.60, 95% CI (-0.83 to -0.37), p<0.001), 2 hours (MD=-0.70, 95% CI (-0.87 to -0.53), p<0.001), 6 hours (MD=-0.79, 95% CI (-0.98 to -0.59), p<0.001), 8 hours (MD=-0.77, 95% CI (-1.25 to -0.28), p=0.002) and 12 hours (MD=-0.56, 95% CI (-1.00 to -0.11), p=0.01) after surgery. Coinjection of lidocaine and dexmedetomidine resulted in significantly lower postoperative opioid consumption, postoperative nausea and vomiting and bradycardia than lidocaine alone (all p<0.05). Compared with the dexmedetomidine group, the lidocaine+dexmedetomidine group shortened the time to intestinal transit resumption (p=0.003). Coinjection of lidocaine and dexmedetomidine reduced intraoperative opioid consumption and increased QOR scores compared with lidocaine and dexmedetomidine alone (all p<0.05)., Conclusion: Lidocaine combined with dexmedetomidine had superior analgesic efficacy and safety. However, due to the limitation in the number of available studies, more large-scale, prospective RCTs are needed for further investigation.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42023384018., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: The aim of this study is to explore the current study status and progression of the effects of ropivacaine in local analgesia by using bibliometric methods., Methods: Published articles related to the treatment of postoperative pain with ropivacaine from 2003 to 2022 were retrieved from the Web of Science database. Detailed information such as authors, keywords, journals, countries, institutions and references were analyzed by bibliometric methods and visualized by VOSviewer., Results: A total of 1150 articles published in the treatment of postoperative pain with ropivacaine were included in the bibliometric analysis. From 2003 to 2022, the number of articles was on the rise and increased rapidly after 2018. The United States published the highest number of articles and Ilfeld ranked first in the number of papers (35) and citation frequency (1670). Journal of Anesthesiology had the highest average number of citations per article (89.43). There is a close cooperation among countries especially centering China and the United States at their core, universities are the main institutions in publishing articles. The most cited literature was published by Knudsen whose study major in finding out the effects of ropivacaine and bupivacaine to the central nervous system. Among the top 10 high frequency keywords, ropirvacaine and postoperative anesthesia appeared most frequently., Conclusion: The application of ropivacaine to postoperative anesthesia attracts growing interest from the scholars all over the world and was the future research hotspot in treating postoperative pain., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

The analgesic efficacy and safety of liposomal bupivacaine (LB) in third molar extraction was evaluated in this phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of subjects undergoing bilateral third molar extraction. Subjects were randomized 2: 1 to infiltration with LB (133 mg/10 mL) or placebo, and received opioid rescue medication as needed. Primary efficacy measure was cumulative area under the curve (AUC) of numeric rating scale (NRS) pain severity scores through 48 hours (AUC of NRS0-48) postsurgery. Other measures included AUC of NRS0-24, AUC of NRS0-72, and AUC of NRS0-96, and incidence of adverse events. There were 150 subjects in the primary efficacy population (n = 99 LB, n = 51 placebo) and 89 in the per-protocol population (n = 59 LB, n = 30 placebo). Least-squares mean for AUC of NRS0-48 was 172.3 LB versus 194.7 placebo (P = .227) in the primary efficacy population and 120.8 LB versus 183.3 placebo (P = .023) in the per-protocol population. At all time points, between-group differences in AUC of NRS scores were significant in the per-protocol population (LB lower than placebo, P < .05) but not in the primary efficacy population. The adverse event profile was similar between groups. LB produced significantly lower cumulative pain scores versus placebo at all time points in the per-protocol analysis but not in the primary efficacy analysis because of protocol violations. This study indicates significant improvement in pain scores in the third molar model, but because of extensive protocol violations additional studies are warranted to demonstrate effectiveness.

Background and Objectives: Multimodal analgesia has been shown to be effective in facilitating early postoperative gastrointestinal function and rehabilitation in patients undergoing open gastrectomy. We conducted a clinical trial to investigate the effectiveness of bilateral rectus sheath block (RSB) with continuous bupivacaine infusion in comparison with placebo following elective open gastrectomy. Materials and Methods: Patients indicated for elective open gastrectomy were screened, enrolled, and randomised between October 2021 and September 2023. The patients were randomised to either Group A (intervention-continuous bupivacaine) or Group B (control-NaCl saline). The primary outcome measures were the quantity of an opioid analgesic administered during the initial 72 h post-surgery and the level of postoperative pain as indicated by the visual analogue scale (VAS). Mann-Whitney U test was used for quantitative analysis while Pearson Chi-square was used for categorical variables. Results: A total of 60 patients completed the trial, with 30 patients in each of the two groups. Patients in Group A reported lower median VAS pain scores at all observed time points following surgery ( p < 0.001). No patient in Group A required rescue opioid analgesia, although non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were necessary during the initial 12 h postoperatively. Clinically, Group A patients had a significantly shorter time to first gas ( p = 0.001), a shorter time to first bowel movement ( p < 0.001), a shorter time to first out-of-bed activity ( p < 0.001), and a shorter overall hospitalisation duration ( p < 0.001) compared to Group B patients. Conclusions: Bilateral RSB with continuous bupivacaine infusion is effective in managing pain and can reduce the use of opioid analgesics in the postoperative period. Furthermore, it promotes early recovery, and a shorter hospital stay.

Background: It remains unclear whether opioid-free anesthesia (OFA), when compared to opioid-sparing anesthesia (OSA), reduces postoperative opioid consumption while still providing adequate pain control. We thus tested the hypothesis that patients having an OFA strategy during laparoscopic colectomy would require less postoperative opioids when compared to an OSA strategy., Methods: This single-center, prospective randomized controlled superiority trial, randomly allocated consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy to receive either sevoflurane-dexmedetomidine anesthesia with a continuous infusion of lidocaine and ketamine (OFA group) or sevoflurane-sufentanil boluses anesthesia with a continuous infusion of lidocaine (OSA group). Both groups received multimodal antinociception with boluses of dexamethasone, lidocaine, and ketamine during anesthesia induction, as well as acetaminophen, ketoprofen, and nefopam before the end of the surgery. OFA patients also received a dose of magnesium sulfate during induction. The primary outcome was cumulative opioid consumption at 48 h after surgery, expressed in oral morphine equivalents (OME). Secondary exploratory outcomes were pain scores, opioid-related adverse events, and patient quality of life (WHODAS score)., Results: Of the 160 randomized patients, 155 were included in a modified intention-to-treat analysis. Median [Q1-Q3] OME consumption at 48 h after surgery did not differ between groups (9 [0-30] mg for OFA vs. 14 [0-30] mg for OSA; p = 0.861). Key secondary outcomes were not different between groups except a three time higher incidence of bradycardia in the OFA group., Conclusions: In patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy with a multimodal antinociception protocol, OFA, when compared to OSA, did not decrease postoperative opioid consumption., Clinical Trial Registry and Number: NCT05031234., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Alexandre Joosten is consultant for Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA. Sean Coekelenbergh has received honoraria for presentations from Medtronic, Medasense, and Med—Storm. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Société française d'anesthésie et de réanimation (Sfar). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)