The pecs anesthetic blockade: A correlation between magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound imaging, reconstructed cross‐sectional anatomy and cross‐sectional histology

Superficial versus deep parasternal intercostal plane blocks: cadaveric evaluation of injectate spread

BACKGROUND

Deep and superficial parasternal intercostal plane blocks provide anterior chest wall analgesia for both breast and cardiac surgery. Our primary objective of this cadaveric study was to describe the parasternal spread of deep and superficial parasternal intercostal plane blocks. Our secondary objectives were to describe needle proximity to the internal mammary artery when performing deep parasternal intercostal plane blocks, and compare lateral injectate spread and extension into the rectus sheath.

METHODS

We performed ultrasound-guided deep and superficial parasternal intercostal plane blocks 2 cm from the sternum at the T3-4 interspace in four fresh frozen cadavers as described in clinical studies.

RESULTS

Parasternal spread of injectate was greater with the deep parasternal intercostal plane injection than with the superficial parasternal intercostal plane injection. The internal mammary artery was ∼3 mm away from the needle trajectory in cadaver #1 and ∼5 mm from the internal mammary artery in cadaver #2. Lateral spread extended to the midclavicular line for all deep parasternal intercostal plane blocks and beyond the midclavicular line for all superficial parasternal intercostal plane blocks. Neither block extended to the rectus sheath.

CONCLUSIONS

A greater number of parasternal interspaces were covered with the deep parasternal intercostal plane block than with the superficial parasternal intercostal plane block when one injection was performed at the T3-4 interspace. However, considering proximity to the internal mammary artery, and potential devastating consequences of an arterial injury, we propose that the deep parasternal intercostal plane block be classified as an advanced block and that future studies focus on optimising superficial parasternal intercostal plane parasternal spread.

Ultrasound-guided fascial plane blocks for post-breast surgery pain syndrome

INTRODUCTION

Persistent pain following breast surgery is common and may be challenging to treat. In patients refractory to conservative treatments, ultrasound-guided fascial plane blocks of thoracic nerves can be a useful option.

RESULTS

This type of neuro blockade technique provides advantages in terms of safety and efficacy that are convenient for physicians managing refractory and complex cases of post-breast surgery syndrome.

CONCLUSION

This technical review aims to present an up-to-date summary of the most common ultrasound-guided fascial plane blocks for chronic pain in post-breast surgery patients, provide a detailed technical description of each intervention, and propose preferred injections based on the anatomical location of the pain.

Fascial plane blocks for cardiothoracic surgery: a narrative review

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the limitations and risks associated with the overreliance on opioids in various surgical procedures, including cardiothoracic surgery.This shift on pain management toward reducing reliance on opioids, together with need to improve patient outcomes, alleviate suffering, gain early mobilization after surgery, reduce hospital stay, and improve patient satisfaction and functional recovery, has led to the development and widespread implementation of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols.In this context, fascial plane blocks are emerging as part of a multimodal analgesic in cardiac surgery and as alternatives to conventional neuraxial blocks for thoracic surgery, and there is a growing body of evidence suggesting their effectiveness and safety in providing pain relief for these procedures. In this review, we discuss the most common fascial plane block techniques used in the field of cardiothoracic surgery, offering a comprehensive overview of regional anesthesia techniques and presenting the latest evidence on the use of chest wall plane blocks specifically in this surgical setting.

A single-center descriptive account of the use of pectoral nerve I and II nerve blocks for post-operative pain relief following pediatric sternotomy

Regional anesthesia between the pectoralis major and minor was first described in 2011 as an alternative method to paravertebral blocks or epidurals for post-operative mastectomies. Since then, the use of pectoral nerve (PECS) blocks for post-operative pain management following thoracotomy, sternotomy, and other procedures in the anterior thorax has increased. While experience with this block is growing, the current understanding of its use in pediatric patients is limited. We reviewed pediatric cases at a single institution and provide a descriptive account of our use of PECS I and II blocks for post-operative pain management following operations involving sternotomy in pediatric patients. We performed a retrospective database analysis of the use of PECS I and II blocks following procedures requiring sternotomy from 2018 to 2021 at St. Louis Children's Hospital. Patients 21 years old and younger who received either a PECS I or II block following a sternotomy for a cardiac procedure were included in the analysis. Patient's demographics, pre-, intra-, and post-operative medications, operative time, extubation status, pain evaluations, and hospital course were assessed from the electronic medical record. From 2018 to 2021, 73 ultrasound-guided PECS blocks were performed for pain relief for pediatric sternotomy. The most commonly performed operations were atrial septal defect closure (n = 12), mitral valve repair (n = 8), and ventricle septal defect closure (n = 8). Out of the 73 patients, 47 received a PECS I block and 26 received a PECS II Block. 70 of the blocks were administered after closure of the sternum while 3 were done before incision. The time to perform blocks took on average of 6 (±4) min. Mean operating room time was 7.5 h. Local anesthetics used for the blocks were as follows: Ropivacaine 0.2% (n = 54), Ropivacaine 0.5% (n = 18), and Bupivacaine 0.25% (n = 1). Twenty-five out of 73 patients did not experience severe pain, defined as ≥7/10 on a numeric pain scale, at any point in the first 24 h following surgery. We describe the of use PECS I and II nerve block following pediatric sternotomy. Blocks were straight forward to perform, and typically took a short amount of time to administer (6 min), when compared to the total operating room time (7.5 h). While this study did not include a comparative group that did not receive a block, 34 percent of patients did not suffer from severe pain in the first 24 h following surgery. Further prospective studies are needed to assess the effectiveness of PECS blocks for pain relief following sternotomy in pediatric patients when compared to current standard of care. PECS blocks may be beneficial for a range of cardiac surgeries that typically result in severe postoperative pain.

Benefits of PECS Block as Part of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Protocol for Breast Cancer Surgery in an Asian Institution: A Retrospective Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION

Regional analgesia techniques have been increasingly used for post-operative pain management following mastectomy. We aim to evaluate analgesic benefits of pectoral nerve (PECS2) block incorporated as part of the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol in patients undergoing mastectomy in University Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A single centre, cohort study evaluating 335 women who have undergone unilateral mastectomy between January 2017 and March 2020 in Malaysia. Regional anaesthesia were given pre-operatively via ultrasound guided pectoral and intercostal nerves block (PECSII).

RESULTS

Utilization of regional anaesthesia increased from 11% in 2017 to 43% in 2020. Types and duration of surgeries were comparable. Opiod consumption was 3 mg lower in those who had PECS2 block ((27 [24-30] mg), in comparison with those who received general anaesthesia only (30 [26-34] mg), p < 0.001, and length of stay was half a day shorter in the regional anaesthesia group and these were statistically significant. However, pain score (2 [1-3]; 2 [1-3], p=0.719) and post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) (32.6-32.5%, p = 0.996) were similar.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the importance of PECS2 block as a component of ERAS protocol for mastectomy in an Asian hospital. This study also inferred that patients may be safely discharged within 24 h of surgery and therefore, same day surgery may be feasible in selected group of patients undergoing mastectomy and this could imply overall cost benefits.

Efficacy of ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block following breast surgery - A double-blinded randomised, controlled study

Background and Aims:

Regional anaesthesia has been used to reduce acute post-operative pain as well as opioid-related side effects in breast cancer surgery. Erector spinae plane (ESP) block is a relatively new fascial plane block being tried in various surgical procedures. Our study is a double-blind randomised trial, designed to prove the efficacy of this block in breast surgeries.

Methods:

Seventy female patients scheduled for unilateral breast surgery were enroled in this prospective, randomised, double-blind study. Patients were randomised to group A and group B. All patients received general anaesthesia while group B received additional ultrasound-guided erector spinae block given at thoracic level—T5 with 20ml of 0.25% bupivacaine. Time to first rescue analgesia was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were total intraoperative opioid consumption, pain scores over 24 h, post-operative nausea and vomiting and patient satisfaction score at discharge. The Shapiro–Wilk test was used to check the normality of each variable. A comparison was done using Mann–Whitney test and the level of significance was set at 0.05.

Results:

The median time to first rescue analgesia in group A versus group B was 1 h (1–12h) versus 8 h (1–26h), respectively, with a P value of 0.044. Group B patients had lower pain scores post-operatively and better satisfaction scores at discharge. There was no statistically significant difference in intraoperative fentanyl consumption.

Conclusion:

Ultrasound-guided ESP block with general anaesthesia offers superior post-operative analgesia compared to general anaesthesia alone in patients undergoing unilateral nonreconstructive breast cancer surgeries.

An Interventional Pain Algorithm for the Treatment of Postmastectomy Pain Syndrome: A Single-Center Retrospective Review

OBJECTIVE

Breast cancer is the most common female malignancy worldwide. Breast surgery and adjuvant oncological therapies are often required to increase survival. Treatment-related pain may persist and evolve into postmastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS) in a significant subset of breast cancer survivors. In this retrospective investigation, we will present our experience in applying an interventional algorithmic approach to treat PMPS.

DESIGN

A retrospective study.

SETTING

An academic cancer hospital.

SUBJECTS

Adult females with PMPS diagnosis.

METHODS

We reviewed 169 records with the diagnosis of PMPS from 2015 to 2019 within our health system. Pre- and post-injection pain scores, relief duration, and medication usage changes were collected. The decision to perform each procedure was based on the anatomic location of the painful area with the corresponding peripheral sensory innervation. Decision-making flow diagrams were created to present our experience in managing PMPS beyond peripheral nerve blocks.

RESULTS

Ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve block results (n=350) were analyzed. The mean baseline pain score was 7, compared with the post-treatment mean score of 3 (95% confidence interval: 3.58 to 3.98, P = 0.0001). Among the responders, the mean pain relief duration was 45 days, with a median of 84 days. Opioid medication consumption was reduced by 11% (t = 0.72, P = 0.47).

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasound-guided nerve blocks of this area could be performed safely and effectively after breast surgeries. We also present our proposed algorithm to provide a stepwise application for selecting the appropriate therapies in the management of more complex PMPS.

Erector spinae plane block in acute interventional pain management: a systematic review

Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB) was described by Forero in 2016. ESPB is currently widely used in acute postoperative pain management. The benefits of ESPB include simplicity and efficacy in various surgeries. The aim of this review was to conduct a comprehensive overview of available evidence on erector spinae plane block in clinical practice. We included randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews reporting the ESPB in human subjects. The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Twenty-one articles including five systematic reviews and 16 randomized controlled trials were included and analyzed. ESPB appears to be an effective, safe, and simple method for acute pain management in cardiac, thoracic, and abdominal surgery. The incidence of side effects has been reported to be rare. A critical issue is to make sure that new evidence is not just of the highest quality, in form of well powered and designed randomized controlled trials but also including a standardized and homogeneous set of indicators that permit to assess the comparative effectiveness of the application of ESPB in acute interventional pain management.

Utility of the Pectoral Nerve Block (PECS II) for Analgesia Following Transaxillary First Rib Section

BACKGROUND

The transaxillary approach to resection of the first rib is one of several operative techniques for treating thoracic outlet syndrome. Unfortunately, moderate to severe postoperative pain is anticipated for patients undergoing this particular operation. While opioids can be used for analgesia, they have well-described side effects that has led investigators to search for clinically relevant alternative analgesic modalities. We hypothesized that a regional analgesic procedure, commonly called a pectoral nerve (PECS II) block, which anesthetizes the second through sixth intercostal nerves as well as the long thoracic nerve and the medial and lateral pectoral nerves, would improve postoperative analgesia for patients undergoing a transaxillary first rib resection.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study by reviewing the charts of all patients that had undergone a transaxillary first rib resection for thoracic outlet syndrome during the defined study period. Patients that received a PECS II block were compared to those that did not. The primary outcome was a comparison of numeric rating scale pain scores during the first 24 hours following the operation. Secondary outcomes included cumulative opioid consumption during the same time period.

RESULTS

Pain scores during the first 24 hours following the operation were not statistically different between groups (Block Group: 3.9 [2.1-5.3] [median (IQR 25-75%)] versus Non-block Group: 3.6 [2.4-4.1]; P = 0.40. In addition, opioid use through the first 24 hours after the operation was not significantly different (43.5 [22.0-81.0] [median morphine equivalents in mg's] versus 42.0 [12.5-75.0]; P = 0.53).

CONCLUSIONS

An ultrasound-guided PECS II nerve block did not reduce postoperative pain scores or opioid consumption for patients undergoing a transaxillary first rib resection. However, a prospective, randomized, study with improved power would be beneficial to further explore the potential utility of a PECS II block for patients presenting for this surgical procedure.

Ultrasonography-guided anterior approach for axillary nerve blockade: An anatomical study

Combined ultrasound (US)-guided blockade of the suprascapular and axillary nerves (ANs) has been proposed as an alternative to interscalene blockade for pain control in shoulder joint pathology or postsurgical care. This technique could help avoid respiratory complications and/or almost total upper limb palsy. Nowadays, the AN blockade is mostly performed using an in-plane caudal-to-cephalic approach from the posterior surface of the shoulder, reaching the nerve immediately after it exits the neurovascular quadrangular space (part of the spatium axillare). Despite precluding most respiratory complications, this approach has not made postsurgical pain relief any better than an interscalene blockade, probably because articular branches of the AN are not blocked.Cephalic-to-caudal methylene blue injections were placed in the first segment of the AN of six Thiel-embalmed cadavers using an US-guided anterior approach in order to compare the distribution with that produced by a posterior approach to the contralateral AN in the same cadaver. Another 21 formalin-fixed cadavers were bilaterally dissected to identify the articular branches of the AN.We found a good spread of the dye on the AN and a constant relationship of this nerve with the subscapularis muscle. The dye reached the musculocutaneous nerve, which also contributes to shoulder joint innervation. We describe the anatomical landmarks for an ultrasonography-guided anterior AN blockade and hypothesize that this anterior approach will provide better pain control than the posterior approach owing to complete blocking of the joint nerve. Clin. Anat. 33:488-499, 2020. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.