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BackgroundParavertebral nerve blocks (PVBs) are frequently used to treat pain during and following breast surgery, but have various undesirable risks such as pneumothorax. The erector spinae plane block (ESPB) also provides perioperative breast analgesia, but is purported to be easier to administer with a favorable safety profile. However, it remains unknown if the new ESPB provides comparable analgesia as the decades-old PVB technique.MethodsSubjects undergoing unilateral or bilateral non-mastectomy breast surgery were randomized to a single-injection ESPB or PVB in a subject-blinded fashion (ropivacaine 0.5% with epinephrine; 20 mL unilateral or 16 mL/side for bilateral). We hypothesized that (1) analgesia would be non-inferior in the recovery room as measured on a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) with ESPB, and (2) opioid consumption would be non-inferior in the operating and recovery rooms with ESPB.ResultsBoth pain scores and opioid consumption were higher in subjects with ESPBs (n=50) than PVBs (n=50; median NRS 3.0 vs 0; 95% CI −3.0 to 0; p=0.0011; and median morphine equivalents 2.0 vs 1.5 mg; 95% CI −1.2 to −0.1; p=0.0043). No block-related adverse events occurred in either group.ConclusionsPVBs provided superior analgesia and reduced opioid requirements following non-mastectomy breast surgery. To compare the relatively rare complications between the techniques will require a sample size 1–2 orders of magnitude greater than the current investigation; however, without a dramatic improvement in safety profile for ESPBs, it appears that PVBs are superior to ESPBs for postoperative analgesia after non-mastectomy breast surgery.Trial registration number NCT03549234.

BackgroundRegional anesthetic techniques have become increasingly used for the purpose of pain management following mastectomy. Although a variety of beneficial techniques have been described, the delivery of regional anesthesia following mastectomy has yet to be examined for racial or ethnic disparities. We aimed to examine the association of race and ethnicity on the delivery of regional anesthesia in patients undergoing surgical mastectomy using a large national database.MethodsWe used the American College of Surgeons–National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database to identify adult patients aged ≥18 years old who underwent mastectomy from 2014 to 2016. We reported unadjusted estimates of regional anesthesia accordingly to race and ethnicity and examined differences in sociodemographic characteristics and health status. Multivariable logistic regression was used to report the association of race and ethnicity with use of regional anesthesia.ResultsA total of 81 345 patients who underwent mastectomy were included, 14 887 (18.3%) of whom underwent regional anesthesia. The unadjusted rate of use of regional anesthesia was 18.9% for white patients, 16.8% for black patients, 15.6% for Asian patients, 16.5% for Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander patients, 17.8% for American Indian or Alaska Native and 17.4% for unknown race (p<0.001). With respect to ethnicity, the unadjusted rate of regional anesthesia use was 18.4% for non-Hispanic patients vs 16.1% for Hispanic patients vs 18.6% for the unknown ethnicity cohort (p<0.001). On multivariable logistic regression analysis, the odds of receipt of regional anesthesia was 12% lower in black patients and 21% lower in Asian patients compared with white patients (p<0.001). The odds of regional anesthesia use were 13% lower in Hispanic compared with non-Hispanic patients (p<0.001).ConclusionBlack and Asian patients had lower odds of undergoing regional anesthesia following mastectomy compared with white counterparts. In addition, Hispanic patients had lower odds of undergoing regional anesthesia than non-Hispanic counterparts. These differences underlie the importance of working to deliver equitable healthcare irrespective of race or ethnicity.

BackgroundPoorly controlled pain during the acute postoperative period is associated with the development of persistent or ‘chronic’ pain lasting months or years after surgery. Relatively small trials suggest that local anesthetic-based peripheral nerve blocks lasting hours or a few days may decrease persistent postsurgical pain for some surgical procedures, but definitive data is lacking. Two possible alternatives—percutaneous cryoneurolysis and peripheral nerve stimulation—are analgesic modalities with the potential to provide weeks or months of pain relief following surgery. This increase in analgesic duration raises the possibility of decreased transition from acute to chronic postsurgical pain.ObjectiveThis review aims to summarize the available evidence involving the use of percutaneous cryoneurolysis and peripheral nerve stimulation within the immediate perioperative period and its effects on decreasing chronic postoperative pain.FindingsTwo randomized trials (n=66 and 16) comparing active percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation to sham stimulation and two randomized trials (n=60 and 7) comparing percutaneous cryoneurolysis to a sham procedure for postoperative pain are described in this review. In each trial, participants were followed for at least three months.ConclusionThis review describes percutaneous cryoneurolysis and peripheral nerve stimulation for perioperative analgesia as well as the available evidence supporting their use to prevent persistent postsurgical pain.

BackgroundPercutaneous auricular nerve stimulation (neuromodulation) is an analgesic technique involving the percutaneous implantation of multiple leads at various points on/around the ear followed by the delivery of electric current using an external pulse generator. A device is currently available within the USA cleared to treat symptoms from opioid withdrawal, and multiple reports suggest a possible postoperative analgesic effect. The current randomized, controlled pilot study was undertaken to (1) determine the feasibility and optimize the protocol for a subsequent definitive clinical trial and (2) estimate the treatment effect of auricular neuromodulation on postoperative pain and opioid consumption following total knee arthroplasty.MethodsWithin the recovery room following primary, unilateral, total knee arthroplasty, an auricular neuromodulation device (NSS-2 Bridge, Masimo, Irvine, California, USA) was applied using three percutaneous leads and one ground electrode. Participants were randomized to 5 days of either electrical stimulation or sham stimulation in a double-masked fashion. Participants were discharged with the stimulator in situ and removed the disposable devices at home. The dual primary treatment effect outcome measures were the cumulative opioid use (oral oxycodone) and the mean of the “average” daily pain measured with the Numeric Rating Scale for the first 5 postoperative days.ResultsDuring the first five postoperative days, oxycodone consumption in participants given active stimulation (n=15) was a median (IQR) of 4 mg (2–12) vs 13 mg (5–23) in patients given sham (n=15) treatment (p=0.039). During this same period, the average pain intensity in patients given active stimulation was a median (IQR) of 2.5 (1.5–3.3) vs 4.0 (3.6–4.8) in those given sham (p=0.014). Awakenings due to pain over all eight postoperative nights in participants given active stimulation was a median (IQR) of 5 (3–8) vs 11 (4–14) in those given sham (p<0.001). No device-related localized cutaneous irritation, systemic side effects, or other adverse events were identified.ConclusionsPercutaneous auricular neuromodulation reduced pain scores and opioid requirements during the initial week after total knee arthroplasty. Given the ease of application as well as the lack of systemic side effects and reported complications, a definitive clinical trial appears warranted.Trial registration number NCT05521516.

Correspondence to Dr John J Finneran IV, Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92103, USA; jfinneran@health.ucsd.edu Introduction Burn pain includes not only the burn itself but also the pain associated with procedures such split thickness skin graft (STSG) harvesting.1 Opioid analgesics, conventionally the first-line agent for burn analgesia, are associated with hyperalgesia in burn patients.2 Peripheral nerve blocks may be used for postoperative analgesia following STSG, and the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) is an optimal target, since it innervates the lateral thigh and has no motor component.1 3 Unfortunately, local anesthetic nerve blocks are limited in duration to hours–or days with a continuous infusion.4 Ultrasound-guided percutaneous cryoneurolysis offers an alternative to local anesthetic blocks with a duration of weeks or months.5 A previous case series has suggested that cryoneurolysis of the LFCN may provide extended duration analgesia for STSG donor sites.6 We designed a randomized, controlled pilot study to evaluate the feasibility of percutaneous cryoneurolysis of the LFCN and estimate the treatment effect to plan for a subsequent definitive trial. Subjects randomized to active cryoneurolysis were less likely to report sleep disturbances for the first two nights following surgery.Table 1 Results Outcome Active cryoneurolysis (N=6) Sham (N=6) Average pain (NRS 0–10)  POD 1 1.5 (1)±1.9 4.2 (5.5)±3.4  POD 2 1.3 (0)±2.2 3.5 (3)±1.2  POD 3 1.0 (0)±1.7 2.7 (2.5)±1.9  POD 4 1.5 (1)±1.6 2.4 (2.25)±1.5  POD 7 0 (0) 2.8 (3.5)±1.9  POD 14 0 (0) 1.0 (0)±1.7  POD 21 0.7 (0)±1.2 1.3 (0)±2.3 Worst pain (NRS 0–10)  POD 1 3.0 (3.5)±2.5 6.0 (8)±4.5  POD 2 1.8 (0)±3.0 6.1 (6.5)±1.9  POD 3 2.7 (1)±3.5 5.8 (6)±1.7  POD 4 3.0 (2)±3.5 4.8 (5)±1.8  POD 7 0.4 (0)±0.9 4.8 (5.5)±3.6  POD 14 0.3 (0)±0.5 2.7 (0)±4.6  POD 21 1.3 (0.5)±2.3 2.3 (0)±4.0 Oxycodone (mg)  POD 1 37.1 (27.5)±26.9 41.7 (37.5)±31.0  POD 2 16.7 (12.5)±15.4 35.8 (30)±35.3  POD 3 13.3 (2.5)±19.4 34.2 (32.5)±25.6  POD 4 9.0 (5)±12.4 10.8 (12.5)±9.2  POD 7 0 (0) 12.5 (10)±12.6  POD 14 0.8 (0)±2.0 3.3 (0)±5.7  POD 21 0.8 (0)±2.0 6.7 (0)±11.5 Sleep disturbance (%)  POD 1 16.7 67.7  POD 2 16.7 50  POD 3 16.7 16.7  POD 4 16.7 0  POD 7 0 0  POD 14 0 0  POD 21 0 0 NRS, numeric rating scale; POD, postoperative day. The LFCN shares watershed areas with the femoral nerve anteriorly, posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh posteriorly, and ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerves superomedially. [...]subjects may have experienced pain on the edges of the LFCN distribution.

BackgroundFollowing outpatient surgery, it is often difficult to provide adequate analgesia while concurrently minimizing opioid requirements. Ultrasound-guided percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation has been proposed as an analgesic, but requires physician-level skills, advanced equipment, up to an hour to administer, and is frequently cost prohibitive. In contrast, percutaneous auricular neuromodulation may be placed by nursing staff in a few minutes without additional equipment, theoretically provides analgesia for nearly any anatomic location, lacks systemic side effects, and has no significant risks. We now present a case report to demonstrate proof of concept for the off-label use of an auricular neuromodulation device—originally developed to treat symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal—to instead provide analgesia following outpatient surgery.Case presentationFollowing moderately painful ambulatory orthopedic and breast surgery, seven patients had an auricular neuromodulation device (NSS-2 Bridge, Masimo, Irvine, California, USA) affixed within the recovery room in approximately 5 min and discharged home. Average resting and dynamic pain scores measured on the 0–10 Numeric Rating Scale were a median of 1 over the first 2 days, subsequently falling to 0. Five patients avoided opioid use entirely, while the remaining two each consumed 5 mg of oxycodone during the first 1–2 postoperative days. After 5 days, the devices were removed at home and discarded.ConclusionsThese cases demonstrate that ambulatory percutaneous auricular neuromodulation is feasible and may be an effective analgesic and decreasing or even negating opioid requirements following outpatient surgery. Considering the lack of systemic side effects, serious adverse events, and misuse/dependence/diversion potential, further study with a randomized, controlled trial appears warranted.

BackgroundRegional anesthesia is becoming increasingly used for analgesia in clavicular surgery. The purpose of the study is to examine same-day discharge and readmissions in patients with clavicular fractures receiving open reduction and internal fixation, comparing those who received regional anesthesia to those that did not.MethodsThe National Surgical Quality Improvement Program registry was used to build a retrospective cohort with the primary and secondary outcomes of same-day discharge and readmission rates, respectively. The independent variable was type of anesthesia (ie, regional vs general). Unadjusted univariable followed by multivariable logistic regression analysis for the association of each covariate with the primary and secondary outcome was performed. A p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsA total of 2300 patients were included, in which 346 (15.0%) of received a nerve block. The only factor associated with same-day discharge on crude analysis was the use of a nerve block (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.21 to 2.40, p<0.01). Factors not associated with same-day discharge included geriatric age (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.57, p<0.01), diabetes mellitus (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.89, p=0.01), dependent functional status (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.69, p<0.01), hypertension (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.52, p<0.01), bleeding disorder (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.59, p<0.01) and an American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status score ≥3 (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.45, p<0.01). On adjusted analysis, regional anesthesia was associated with increased odds of same-day discharge (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.37, p<0.01), but not 30-day readmission (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.13 to 2.52, p=0.46).ConclusionRegional anesthesia use in patients with clavicular fractures is associated with higher odds for same-day discharge. There is no significant difference in the rates of hospital readmission within a 30-day period.Level of EvidenceIV, retrospective case series.

Background and objectivesPercutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) is an analgesic modality involving the insertion of a lead through an introducing needle followed by the delivery of electric current. This modality has been reported to treat chronic pain as well as postoperative pain following knee and foot surgery. However, it remains unknown if this analgesic technique may be used in ambulatory patients following upper extremity surgery. The purpose of this proof-of-concept study was to investigate various lead implantation locations and evaluate the feasibility of using percutaneous brachial plexus PNS to treat surgical pain following ambulatory rotator cuff repair in the immediate postoperative period.MethodsPreoperatively, an electrical lead (SPR Therapeutics, Cleveland, Ohio) was percutaneously implanted to target the suprascapular nerve or brachial plexus roots or trunks using ultrasound guidance. Postoperatively, subjects received 5 min of either stimulation or sham in a randomized, double-masked fashion followed by a 5 min crossover period, and then continuous stimulation until lead removal postoperative days 14–28.ResultsLeads (n=2) implanted at the suprascapular notch did not appear to provide analgesia, and subsequent leads (n=14) were inserted through the middle scalene muscle and placed to target the brachial plexus. Three subjects withdrew prior to data collection. Within the recovery room, stimulation did not decrease pain scores during the first 40 min of the remaining subjects with brachial plexus leads, regardless of which treatment subjects were randomized to initially. Seven of these 11 subjects required a single-injection interscalene nerve block for rescue analgesia prior to discharge. However, subsequent average resting and dynamic pain scores postoperative days 1–14 had a median of 1 or less on the Numeric Rating Scale, and opioid requirements averaged less than 1 tablet daily with active stimulation. Two leads dislodged during use and four fractured on withdrawal, but no infections, nerve injuries, or adverse sequelae were reported.ConclusionsThis proof-of-concept study demonstrates that ultrasound-guided percutaneous PNS of the brachial plexus is feasible for ambulatory shoulder surgery, and although analgesia immediately following surgery does not appear to be as potent as local anesthetic-based peripheral nerve blocks, the study suggests that this modality may provide analgesia and decrease opioid requirements in the days following rotator cuff repair. Therefore, it suggests that a subsequent, large, randomized clinical trial with an adequate control group is warranted to further investigate this therapy in the management of surgical pain in the immediate postoperative period. However, multiple technical issues remain to be resolved, such as the optimal lead location, insertion technique, and stimulating protocol, as well as preventing lead dislodgment and fracture.Trial registration number NCT02898103.

Background and ObjectivesPercutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) is an analgesic modality involving the insertion of a lead through an introducing needle followed by the delivery of electric current. This modality has been reported to treat chronic pain as well as postoperative pain the day following knee surgery. However, it remains unknown if this analgesic technique may be used in ambulatory subjects following foot procedures beginning within the recovery room immediately following surgery, and with only short series of patients reported to date, the only available data are derived from strictly observational studies. The purposes of this proof-of-concept study were to demonstrate the feasibility of using percutaneous sciatic nerve PNS to treat postoperative pain following ambulatory foot surgery in the immediate postoperative period and provide the first available data from a randomized controlled study design to provide evidence of analgesic effect.MethodsPreoperatively, an electrical lead (SPRINT; SPR Therapeutics, Inc, Cleveland, Ohio) was percutaneously inserted posterior to the sciatic nerve between the subgluteal region and bifurcation with ultrasound guidance. Following hallux valgus osteotomy, subjects received 5 minutes of either stimulation or sham in a randomized, double-masked fashion followed by a 5-minute crossover period and then continuous stimulation until lead removal on postoperative days 14 to 28.ResultsDuring the initial 5-minute treatment period, subjects randomized to stimulation (n = 4) experienced a downward trajectory in their pain over the 5 minutes of treatment, whereas those receiving sham (n = 3) reported no such change until their subsequent 5-minute stimulation crossover. During the subsequent 30 minutes of stimulation, pain scores decreased to 52% of baseline (n = 7). Three subjects (43%) used a continuous popliteal nerve block for rescue analgesia during postoperative days 0 to 3. Overall, resting and dynamic pain scores averaged less than 1 on the numeric rating scale, and opioid use averaged less than 1 tablet daily with active stimulation. One lead dislodged, 2 fractured during use, and 1 fractured during intentional withdrawal.ConclusionsThis proof-of-concept study demonstrates that percutaneous sciatic nerve PNS is feasible for ambulatory foot surgery and suggests that this modality provides analgesia and decreases opioid requirements following hallux valgus procedures. However, lead dislodgement and fracture are concerns.Clinical Trial RegistrationThis study was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT02898103.