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Effect of ultrasound-guided intercostal nerve block on postoperative pain after percutaneous nephrolithotomy :
D Ozkan1, T Akkaya, N Karakoyunlu
1Department of Anaesthesia, Ministry of Health Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Training and Research Hospital, Koru M Kavakli S No:4/44, 06810, Ankara, Turkey, derya_z@yahoo.com.
Background:
The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of preoperative ultrasound-guided (US) intercostal nerve block (ICNB) in the 11th and 12th intercostal spaces on postoperative pain control and tramadol consumption in patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL).
Methods:
After obtaining ethical committee approval and written informed patient consent, 40 patients were randomly allocated to the ICNB group or the control group. For the ICNB group US-guided ICNB was performed with 0.5 % bupivacaine and 1/200,000 epinephrine at the 11th and 12th intercostal spaces after premedication. A sham block was performed for the control group and postoperative pain and tramadol consumption were recorded by anesthesiologists blinded to the treatment.
Results:
Postoperative visual analog scale scores at all follow-up times were found to be significantly lower in the ICNB group than in the control group (p < 0.05). The mean 24 h intravenous tramadol consumption was 97.5 ± 39.5 mg for the ICNB group which was significantly lower than the 199.7 ± 77.6 mg recorded for the control group (p < 0.05).
Conclusion:
In PCNL with nephrostomy tube placement US-guided ICNB performed at the 11th and 12th intercostal spaces provided effective analgesia.
