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Background and Objectives The analgesic effect and duration of a transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block remain controversial. Transversus abdominis plane blocks are effective for somatic/incisional pain but do not provide analgesia for visceral pain from intra-abdominal procedures. The purpose of this study was to assess the area and extent of cutaneous sensory blockade and the regression of dermatomal anesthesia after bilateral oblique subcostal TAP block. Methods This observational, prospective clinical study consisted of 12 healthy volunteers. All volunteers received a bilateral oblique subcostal TAP block under real-time ultrasound guidance with 20 mL of 0.375% ropivacaine. The anterior abdominal cutaneous area was divided into 3 parts (midabdomen, left-lateral abdomen, right-lateral abdomen) using 2 lines drawn in a parasagittal fashion 5 cm lateral to the midline. The area of cutaneous sensory blockade involving the anterior abdomen was assessed 30 minutes after institution of the block using a cold stimulus. This was followed by repeated measurements using a cold stimulus applied along parasagittal lines drawn 3 cm lateral to the midline at 0.5, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, and 26 hours after blockade. Results The area of cutaneous sensory blockade of the abdomen was 332 (SD, 73) cm2; that of the midabdomen was 253 (SD, 29) cm2, which represented an average of 90% of the area of the midabdomen; and that of the lateral abdominal wall (combination of left-lateral abdomen and right-lateral abdomen) was 79 (SD, 62) cm2, which represented an average of 26% of total lateral abdominal area. Dermatomes T7–T12 of the midabdomen were successfully blocked in all volunteers after using the bilateral oblique subcostal technique. However, T6 and L1 were only variably blocked. The area of cutaneous sensory block of the anterior abdomen regressed over the ensuing 22 hours in the following manner: 90%, 87%, 73%, 50%, 22%, 3%, and 0% at 0.5, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, and 26 hours, respectively. Conclusions Bilateral oblique subcostal TAP block produces a widespread cutaneous sensory blockade with a consistent dermatomal distribution in the midabdomen for a considerable effective duration.

To compare paravertebral block under thoracoscopy with wound infiltration at an early stage after video-assisted thoracic lobectomy surgery.A prospective, randomized, triple-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.A single-center university hospital.Patients scheduled for video-assisted thoracic lobectomy surgery between February 20, 2014 and June 1, 2014 randomly were allocated into paravertebral block (PVB) (n = 35) and infiltration (n = 35) groups.In the PVB group, 0.5% ropivacaine was injected into the paravertebral space by the surgeon under direct vision with placebo infiltration of saline in the wounds. In the infiltration group, the wounds were infiltrated with 0.5% ropivacaine by the surgeon with a placebo paravertebral block. Subsequently, patient-controlled intravenous morphine analgesia and paracoxib were administered.The primary endpoints were visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores at rest and on cough 0, 2, 6, and 24 hours after surgery. The secondary endpoints were the total morphine during postoperative 0 hours to 24 hours, adverse events, and patient satisfaction with the analgesia. Sixty-one patients completed the study. VAS score on cough at each time point was significantly lower (p0.05) and median (25th, 75th) morphine consumption was lower in the PVB group than in the infiltration group (26 [10, 35] mg and 42 [29, 58] mg, p0.001, respectively). There was no difference in VAS score at rest. Patients in the PVB group had higher satisfaction with analgesia than in the infiltration group (p = 0.003).As part of the multimodal postoperative analgesia, intraoperative paravertebral block provided better dynamic pain relief and reduced morphine consumption compared with local wound infiltration.

Background We evaluated the efficacy of a new anesthetic technique termed ultrasound-guided capsule-sheath space block (CSSB) combined with anterior cervical cutaneous nerve block (CCNB) for thyroidectomy. Methods The study included two parts: Part one was an imaging study to determine technique feasibility. The CSSB was performed on five healthy volunteers by introducing the needle 0.5 cm lateral to the probe under in-plane needle ultrasound guidance. After puncture of the false capsule and its subsequent contraction with the true capsule of thyroid, 10 mL of contrast medium was deposited slowly in the capsule-sheath space. The CCNB was performed bilaterally as follows: Under ultrasound guidance, a subcutaneous injection was made along the sternocleidomastoid using 10 mL of contrast medium which was followed by a girdle-shaped picchu raised from the cricoid cartilage to supraclavicular region. The spreading pattern of contrast medium was imaged using computed tomographic scanning. In part two (a clinical case series) the technique efficacy was evaluated. Seventy-eight patients undergoing thyroidectomy had ultrasound-guided CSSB and CCNB with local anesthetics. The sensory onset of CCNB, intraoperative hemodynamic parameters, and analgesic effect were assessed and complications were noted. Results The distribution of contrast medium was well defined. In part two the onset time of CCNB was 2.2 ± 0.7 min, and the hemodynamic parameters remained stable intraoperatively. The recall of visual analogue scale scores during surgery was 2 [1–4] for median (range). The patients’ and surgeons’ satisfaction scores were 2 [1–4] and 1 [1–3] for median (range). No serious complications occurred. Conclusions Combining ultrasound-guided CSSB and CCNB is a feasible, effective and safe technique for thyroidectomy. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ChiCTR-ONC-12002025. Registered 19 March 2012.

Xuezheng Zhang,1 Ying Zhou,1 Limei Chen,1 Quanguang Wang,1 Jianwu Ni,1 Le Liu,1 Chenggang Hu,2 Xuzhong Xu11Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesia, Pomerado Hospital, Poway, CA, USAObjective: To compare the clinical effects of anesthesia and postoperative analgesia for patients with unilateral lower-extremity fracture between multiple injections through catheters beside the lumbar plexus or sciatic nerve and continuous epidural analgesia.Methods: Seventy patients with unilateral lower-extremity fracture scheduled for internal fixation were randomly divided into group N (n = 35) and group E (n = 35). Patients in group N received combined lumbar plexus and sciatic nerve block, then a catheter was inserted into the psoas compartment or beside the sciatic nerve, according to the surgical site, and 25 mL 0.375% ropivacaine was injected into patients in group N through the peripheral nerve catheter 12 hours after operation. Patients in group E received combined spinal and epidural anesthesia, and when the operation was complete kept the epidural catheter and received patient-controlled epidural analgesia with an analgesia pump.Results: The visual analog scores of patients at each time point in the two groups showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). Mean arterial pressure at 30 minutes after anesthesia and 4 hours postoperation in group E decreased significantly and was significantly lower than group N (P < 0.01). Group E had significantly higher rate of urinary retention than group N (P < 0.05), and the time of first food intake of patients in group N was significantly shorter than in group E (P < 0.001).Conclusion: For patients with unilateral lower-extremity fracture receiving internal fixation, multiple injections through catheters beside the lumbar plexus or sciatic nerve can provide adequate postoperative analgesia, with very few adverse effects.Keywords: lumbar plexus, sciatic nerve, catheterization, lower extremity, analgesia

The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block has been shown to provide effective postoperative analgesia in lower abdominal surgery. Subcostal TAP block has also been proposed as a new technique to provide analgesia for the supraumbilical abdomen. We compared the analgesic and opioid-sparing effects of a single-injection subcostal TAP block with continuous thoracic epidural analgesia and IV opioid analgesia.Ninety patients undergoing elective radical gastrectomy were randomized to receive either combined general-subcostal TAP anesthesia (group TAP), combined general-epidural anesthesia (group EA), or general anesthesia (group GA), and were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. In group TAP, a bilateral subcostal TAP block was performed after induction of general anesthesia using 20 mL of 0.375% ropivacaine. In group EA, a thoracic epidural was placed between T8 and T9 and bolused with 8 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine before induction of general anesthesia. The epidural was maintained with 5 mL/h of 0.25% ropivacaine during the surgery. Group GA received standard general anesthesia. In the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), all groups received IV morphine titration for visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores3. All patients were started on IV patient-controlled analgesia with morphine after morphine titration in the PACU, while group EA also had their epidural maintained with 5 mL/h of 0.125% bupivacaine with 8 μg/mL morphine. Patients were assessed in the PACU and at 1, 3, 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively. Primary outcomes measured were morphine consumption at 24 hours and all VAS pain scores.Data from 82 of 90 (91.1%) patients were included in the study. Group TAP demonstrated decreased cumulative morphine consumption at 24 hours (98.75% confidence intervals, -29 to -9 mg) and noninferiority on VAS pain scores at all measurement times, as compared with group GA with standard opioid analgesia. However, group EA was superior to group TAP regarding cumulative morphine consumption at 24 hours (98.75% confidence intervals, -23 to -4 mg) and noninferior to group TAP on VAS pain scores at all comparison points. Group TAP had reduced morphine consumption from PACU admission to 6 hours as compared with group GA, but increased morphine consumption for 6 to 24 hours as compared with group EA.Single-injection subcostal TAP block was more effective than IV opioid analgesia, while continuous thoracic epidural analgesia was more effective than the single-injection subcostal TAP block.