Single-Injection Ultrasound-Guided Thoracic Paravertebral Block versus Local Anesthetic Infiltration in Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter Surgeries: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: Ultrasound-guided thoracic paravertebral block (US-TPVB) is generally used for postoperative analgesia. We hypothesized that single-injection US-TPVB could be used as the principal anesthetic technique for a peritoneal dialysis catheter (PDC) procedure (implantation or removal). The anesthetic effect and venous ropivacaine level after a TPVB would be compared with that after local anesthetic infiltration (LAI). Methods: Patients undergoing PDC procedures were randomized into Group LAI or TPVB. In Group LAI, 40 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine were used. In Group TPVB, single-injection of US-TPVB at T10–T11 level was performed with 20 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine. The quality of anesthesia, visual analogue scale of pain, and venous total plasma ropivacaine level were compared between the 2 groups. Results: Seventy-four eligible patients were enrolled and 38 in Group TPVB. Thirty patients in Group TPVB and 26 patients in Group LAI underwent PDC procedures successfully. Higher satisfaction rates by nephrologists and patients (76.3 and 78.9%) were reported in Group TPVB (44.4 and 44.4% in Group LAI, respectively). The peak venous total plasma ropivacaine concentrations were below the reported toxic threshold in the 2 groups. Conclusions: A single-injection US-TPVB with 20 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine at T10–T11 could be the principal anesthetic technique for PDC procedures, which provided a comparable anesthetic effect to that of LAI with 40 mL ropivacaine. Higher satisfaction rates by nephrologists and patients were observed in Group TPVB. The 20 mL dose of 0.25% ropivacaine used for an US-TPVB was safe in end-stage renal diseases patients.