Visceral Block in Bariatric Surgery: A Pilot Double Blind Randomized Clinical Study

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Surgical Innovation
• Pain Management

Background:

• Local anesthetics are crucial for perioperative analgesia and reducing opioid-related side effects.
• Pain management in bariatric surgery presents unique challenges.
• Intraoperative local anesthetic efficacy in bariatric procedures requires further evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the safety and efficacy of a novel intra-abdominal anesthetic technique, the visceral block.
• To evaluate this technique during laparoscopic bariatric operations.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, randomized, double-blinded pilot study.
• 16 patients received ropivacaine injection to the esophagogastric junction fat.
• 15 patients received a saline control injection.

Main Results:

• The visceral block procedure demonstrated a favorable safety profile with no adverse events or side effects.
• A trend towards reduced non-opioid analgesia use was observed in the initial postoperative hours.
• The procedure was found to be feasible in the intraoperative setting.

Conclusions:

• Visceral block is a safe and feasible intraoperative approach for bariatric surgery.
• The observed trend in efficacy suggests potential benefits for pain management.
• Larger-scale studies are recommended to confirm the efficacy of visceral block.