THE EFFICIENCY OF THE PARAVERTEBRAL BLOCK IN BREAST SURGERY COMPARED TO GENERAL ANAESTHESIA

Abstract

: INTRODUCTION: THE PARAVERTEBRAL BLOCK REPRESENTS AN ANAESTHETIC TECHNIQUE DONE MAINLY IN BREAST SURGERY AND IN THORACIC SURGERY, EITHER AS A SOLE ANAESTHETIC TECHNIQUE, EITHER FOR POSTOPERATIVE ANALGESIA. OBJECTIVES: WE STUDIED THE EFFICIENCY OF THE PARAVERTEBRAL BLOCK IN BREAST ONCOLOGY SURGERY AS AN ANAESTHETIC TECHNIQUE COMPARED TO GENERAL ANAESTHESIA, AND WE FOLLOWED THE SURGICAL ACT, THE PACIENT’S COMFORT, POSTANAESTHETIC ADVERSE EFFECTS AND POSTOPERATIVE ANALGESIA. MATERIALS: IN THE STUDY GROUP WE HAD 14 PATIENTS, 7 HAD UNILATERAL PARAVERTEBRAL BLOCK WITH OR WITHOUT LIGHT SEDATION AND 7 HAD GENERAL ANAESTHESIA WITH OROTRAHEAL INTUBATION. THE PATIENTS GAVE THEIR CONSENT FOR THE BLOCK AFTER RECEIVING INFORMATION REGARDING THE BENEFITS AND THE RISKS FOLLOWING THE TECHNIQUE. THE BLOCKS HAD BEEN MADE UNDER ULTRASOUND GUIDANCE, IN ASEPTIC CONDITIONS. RESULTS: BASED ON THE RESULTS, WE SHOWED THAT THE PATIENTS WITH PARAVERTEBRAL BLOCK FOR BREAST SURGERY WITH OR WITHOUT LIGHT SEDATION HAD SURGICAL COMFORT, HAD PROPER ANALGESIA DURING AND AFTER SURGERY FOR 12-15 HOURS, NO NAUSEA AND VOMITING WERE RECORDED COMPARED TO THE GENERAL ANAESTHESIA GROUP, DID NOT NEED IV OR ORAL ANALGESIA DURING THE DAY OF SURGERY, HAD EARLY MOBILISATION. CONCLUSION: UNILATERAL PARAVERTEBRAL BLOCK FOR BREAST SURGERY IS AN EFFICIENT ANAESTHETIC TECHNIQUE FOR BREAST RESECTION AS LONG AS AXILARY LYMPH NODE RESECTION IS NOT NEEDED. PARAVERTEBRAL BLOCK OFFERS SURGICAL AND ANALGETIC BENEFITS.