Clinical Interventions in Aging (Jun 2020)
Evaluation of Pectoral Nerve Block in Modified Radical Mastectomy: Comparison of Three Concentrations of Ropivacaine
Abstract
Wei Deng,1,* Dan Fu,2,* Liang He3 1Department of Anesthesiology, The First Hospital of Jiaxing (Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University), Jiaxing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Paediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Liang HeDepartment of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail [email protected]: Pectoral nerve block type I (PECS I Block) and type II (PECS II Block) with ropivacaine are relatively new analgesic methods for breast-cancer surgery. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of different concentrations of ropivacaine given in the same volume for the PECS II Block in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy (MRM).Patients and Methods: One hundred and twenty women undergoing elective MRM who met inclusion criteria were divided randomly into four groups of 30: control group without PECS II Block and R0.2%, R0.3%, and R0.4% groups, who received general anesthesia plus the PECS II Block with ropivacaine at 0.2%, 0.3%, and 0.4%, respectively, in a volume of 40 mL.Results: The postoperative numerical rating scale (NRS) pain score at rest and active was significantly higher in the control group than that in the three ropivacaine groups (P< 0.05 for all), and the postoperative NRS score in the R0.3% group and R0.4% group at 12, 24, and 48 h postoperatively were significantly lower than that in the R0.2% group (P< 0.05 for all); there was no significant difference between the R0.3% group and R0.4% group. The time when pain was first felt after MRM, the total number of complaints during 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h after MRM, and the total analgesic requirement (tramadol consumption) during the first 24 h postoperatively in the R0.3% group and R0.4% group were significantly lower than those in the control group and R0.2% group (P< 0.05 for all); there was no significant difference between the R0.3% group and R0.4% group.Conclusion: A dose of 0.3% ropivacaine was the optimal concentration for a PECS II Block for patients undergoing MRM because it provided efficacious analgesia during and > 48 h after MRM. Increasing the ropivacaine concentration did not improve the analgesia of the PECS II Block significantly.Keywords: modified radical mastectomy, pectoral nerve block, postoperative analgesia
