Erector Spinae Block with Opioid Free Anesthesia in Cirrhotic Patients Undergoing Hepatic Resection: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The Efficacy of Magnesium Sulfate in Perioperative Multimodal Analgesia

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Patients frequently report inadequate pain management following surgical procedures. Physicians must often prescribe analgesics, notably opioids, as a means of providing pain relief. Due to the addictive nature of this class of medications, improper post-surgical pain management propagates the United States opioid crisis. The administration of multimodal analgesia is a strategy implemented to decrease long-term outpatient prescription opioid use. Magnesium sulfate has recently attracted interest for its potential use as an adjunct in multimodal analgesia in addition to its other diverse uses in medicine. This review aims to highlight the most recent data validating the use of magnesium sulfate in perioperative multimodal analgesia.

RECENT FINDINGS

A narrative review was conducted using PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE(R) Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations. Articles that examined the effects of intravenous magnesium sulfate on perioperative pain and/or recovery from 1946 to present were considered. 15 articles met the inclusion criteria and discussed the use of magnesium sulfate as an adjunct in multimodal analgesia across the following surgical specialties: cardiac surgery, general surgery, gynecologic surgery, orthopedic surgery, urologic surgery, neurosurgery, and otolaryngology surgery. The results of the cited studies indicate that magnesium sulfate is a well-tolerated multimodal analgesic agent that reduces postoperative pain, reduces opioid consumption, and increases patient satisfaction.

Global research frontiers and thematic trends in opioid-free anesthesia over the past 20 years: a bibliometric analysis

Objective

Opioids have constituted an essential element of general anesthesia for a considerable length of time. However, with the increase in opioid misuse and associated postoperative adverse effects, studies related to opioid-free anesthesia (OFA) have emerged, which pose a challenge in identifying key research directions. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to provide a review of the relevant literature in the field of OFA over the past 2 decades, with the goal of identifying the prevailing trends and research Frontiers.

Methods

A systematic review of the publications on OFA was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection database, with the objective of identifying relevant publications between the years 2005 and 2024. The bibliometric analysis was conducted using CiteSpace (version 6.1. R6), VOSviewer (version 1.6.19), and R (version4.4.2).

Results

In conclusion, 477 publications were included in this study. The number of annual publications in this field has exhibited a steady increase over the past 2 decades. The United States and its institutions were found to be the most central. Forget, Patrice, and BELOEIL H were identified as the most prolific and highly cited authors, respectively. The journal with the highest number of publications was BMC Anesthesiology. The most frequently cited journal was Anesthesia and Analgesia, followed by Anesthesiology. In addition, keyword burst, keywords co-occurrence, and analysis of cited references indicate that recent studies have focused on: opioid consumption, pain, and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Meanwhile, analysis of keyword clusters and keywords timeline view showed that the main research frontiers are sevoflurane anesthesia, plane block, multimodal anesthesia, opioid-sparing anesthesia.

Conclusion

Our results show that the current trends and directions of research focus on opioid consumption, pain, and PONV. Frontiers for future research are expected to include research areas related to sevoflurane anesthesia, plane block, multimodal anesthesia, opioid-sparing anesthesia.

Opioid-free anesthesia for minimally invasive abdominal surgery: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and trial sequential analysis

PURPOSE

Opioid anesthesia is commonly employed in minimally invasive surgeries but is associated with adverse effects, including postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Opioid-free anesthesia aims to mitigate these issues. We conducted a systematic review, meta-analysis, and trial sequential analysis (TSA) comparing opioid and opioid-free anesthesia in minimally invasive abdominal surgeries.

METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, and Embase for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing these approaches. Our primary outcomes were adverse effects (PONV, bradycardia), while secondary outcomes were pain, opioid consumption, and postanesthesia care unit (PACU) length of stay (LOS). We performed a TSA to investigate the conclusiveness of the results.

RESULTS

We included 26 RCTs encompassing 2,025 patients, with 1,009 (49%) in the opioid-free anesthesia group. Opioid-free anesthesia reduced PONV significantly (risk ratio, 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40 to 0.74; P < 0.001), but we found no significant differences in bradycardia rates. We found nonclinically relevant higher pain scores for opioid anesthesia (mean difference [MD], -0.9; 95% CI, -1.7 to -0.2; P = 0.01) and opioid consumption at 2 hr post surgery (MD, -5.4 mg oral morphine equivalents; 95% CI, -9.1 to -1.8; P = 0.004). We also noted a reduced time to first analgesia (MD, 88 min; 95% CI, 18 to 159; P = 0.01). We found no differences in PACU LOS. The TSA confirmed the sample size's adequacy in showing PONV reduction with opioid-free anesthesia.

CONCLUSION

Opioid-free anesthesia showed a significant reduction in PONV and a decrease in opioid consumption during the first 2 hr postoperatively, suggesting it can be an alternative to opioid anesthesia in minimally invasive abdominal surgeries.

STUDY REGISTRATION

PROSPERO ( CRD42023492385 ); first submitted 18 December 2023.

Superiority of opioid free anesthesia with regional block over opioid anesthesia with regional block in the quality of recovery after retroperitoneiscopic renal surgery: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Opioids are the main analgesic drugs used in the perioperative period, but they often have various adverse effects. Recent studies have shown that quadratus lumborum block (QLB) has an opioid sparing effect. The aim of this study was to further evaluate the effect of opioid-free anesthesia (OFA) combined with regional block on the quality of recovery in patients undergoing retroperitoneoscopic renal surgery.

METHODS

Sixty patients undergoing elective retroperitoneoscopic renal surgery were divided into the opioid-free anesthesia with quadratus lumborum block group (OFA group, N.=30) and opioid anesthesia with quadratus lumborum block group (OA group, N.=30) using the random number table method. The main outcome measures were the quality of recovery assessed by Quality of Recover-40 (QoR-40) at the 24th postoperative hour. Secondary outcomes were postoperative pain score, postoperative opioid consumption, postoperative nausea and vomiting, time to ambulate, and time to readiness for discharge.

RESULTS

The QoR-40 score on the first postoperative day was significantly higher in the OFA group than that in the OA group (175.41±6.74 vs. 165.07±4.55; P<0.05). OFA also significantly reduced postoperative pain (P<0.05) and morphine consumption at both the 24th and 48th postoperative hour (P<0.05), as well as time to ambulate, and time to readiness for discharge (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

OFA with regional block is superior to opioid anesthesia with regional block in the quality of recovery after retroperitoneiscopic renal surgery.

Efficacy of erector spinae plane block for postoperative analgesia after liver surgeries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Data on the effectiveness of erector spinae plane block (ESPB) for patients undergoing liver surgeries is limited and inconclusive. We hereby aimed to systematically review if ESPB can provide adequate analgesia after liver surgery.

METHODS

PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus, Embase, and gray literature were examined up to 25th April 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing ESPB with control or spinal analgesia.

RESULTS

Nine RCTs were included of which three compared ESPB with spinal analgesia. 24-hour opioid consumption did not differ significantly between ESPB vs. control (MD: -35.25 95% CI: -77.01, 6.52 I2 = 99%) or ESPB vs. spinal analgesia (MD: 2.32 95% CI: -6.12, 10.77 I2 = 91%). Comparing pain scores between ESPB and control, a small but significant effect favoring ESPB was noted at 12 h and 48 h, but not at 6-8 h and 24 h. Pain scores did not differ between ESPB and spinal analgesia. The risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting was also not significantly different between ESPB vs. control or spinal analgesia. GRADE assessment shows moderate certainty of evidence.

CONCLUSION

ESPB may not provide any significant postoperative analgesia in liver surgery patients. There was a tendency of reduced opioid consumption with ESPB. Limited data also showed that ESPB and spinal analgesia had no difference in pain scores and 24-hour analgesic consumption.

Effects of opioid-free anaesthesia compared with balanced general anaesthesia on nausea and vomiting after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: a single-centre randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVES

Opioid-free anaesthesia (OFA) has emerged as a promising approach for mitigating the adverse effects associated with opioids. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of OFA on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) following video-assisted thoracic surgery.

DESIGN

Single-centre randomised controlled trial.

SETTING

Tertiary hospital in Shanghai, China.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients undergoing video-assisted thoracic surgery were recruited from September 2021 to June 2022.

INTERVENTION

Patients were randomly allocated to OFA or traditional general anaesthesia with a 1:1 allocation ratio.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome measure was the incidence of PONV within 48 hours post-surgery, and the secondary outcomes included PONV severity, postoperative pain, haemodynamic changes during anaesthesia, and length of stay (LOS) in the recovery ward and hospital.

RESULTS

A total of 86 and 88 patients were included in the OFA and control groups, respectively. Two patients were excluded because of severe adverse events including extreme bradycardia and epilepsy-like convulsion. The incidence and severity of PONV did not significantly differ between the two groups (29 patients (33.0%) in the control group and 22 patients (25.6%) in the OFA group; relative risk 0.78, 95% CI 0.49 to 1.23; p=0.285). Notably, the OFA approach used was associated with an increase in heart rate (89±17 vs 77±15 beats/min, t-test: p<0.001; U test: p<0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (87±17 vs 80±13 mm Hg, t-test: p=0.003; U test: p=0.004) after trachea intubation. Conversely, the control group exhibited more median hypotensive events per patient (mean 0.5±0.8 vs 1.0±2.0, t-test: p=0.02; median 0 (0-4) vs 0 (0-15), U test: p=0.02) during surgery. Postoperative pain scores, and LOS in the recovery ward and hospital did not significantly differ between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study findings suggest that the implementation of OFA does not effectively reduce the incidence of PONV following thoracic surgery when compared with traditional total intravenous anaesthesia. The opioid-free strategy used in our study may be associated with severe adverse cardiovascular events.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR2100050738.

Effect of opioid-free anesthesia on the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies

BACKGROUND

Research on opioid-free anesthesia has increased in recent years; however, it has never been determined whether it is more beneficial than opioid anesthesia. This meta-analysis was primarily used to assess the effect of opioid-free anesthesia compared with opioid anesthesia on the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting.

METHODS

We searched the electronic databases of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Embase from 2014 to 2022 to identify relevant articles and extract relevant data. The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, time to extubation, pain score at 24 hours postoperatively, and time to first postoperative rescue analgesia were compared between patients receiving opioid-free anesthesia and those receiving standard opioid anesthesia. Differences in the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting were evaluated using risk ratios (95% confidence interval [CI]). The significance of the differences was assessed using mean differences and 95% CI. The heterogeneity of the subject trials was evaluated using the I2 test. Statistical analysis was performed using the RevMan 5.4 software.

RESULTS

Fourteen randomized controlled trials, including 1354 participants, were evaluated in the meta-analysis. As seen in the forest plot, the OFA group had a lower risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting than the control group (risk ratios = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.33-0.51, P < .00001; n = 1354), and the meta-analysis also found that the OFA group had lower postoperative analgesia scores at 24 hours (P < .000001), but time to extubation (P = .14) and first postoperative resuscitation analgesia time (P < .54) were not significantly different.

CONCLUSIONS

Opioid-free anesthesia reduces the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting while providing adequate analgesia without interfering with postoperative awakening.

Translational research updates in female health anesthesiology: a narrative review

Background and Objective

Females represent 49.6% of the global population and constitute a significant proportion of surgical patients and hospital admissions. Little is known about the bi-directional effects of sex and anesthetics or the impact of anesthetic interventions on long-term female health outcomes. Sex differences in pain pathways can influence pain experience and treatment effectiveness. The impact of anesthetic management on the recurrence of breast cancer is poorly understood, as are the long-term consequences of cardiovascular disease and safe and effective treatments in pregnancy. This review aims to outline recent advances in translational science in female health anesthesiology research and highlight critical research opportunities in pain, cancer outcomes, and cardiovascular disorders.

Methods

We searched PubMed and summarized relevant articles published in English between December 2021 and June 2022.

Key Content and Findings

Studies reveal sex differences in pain pathways and highlight the importance of sex as a biological variable in experimental designs and translational medicine. Sex differences have also been observed in side effects attributed to opioid analgesics. We summarize some of the neural circuits that might underlie these differences. In the perioperative setting, specific anesthetics are implicated in metastatic seeding potential and acute and chronic pain outcomes, suggesting the importance of anesthetic selection in comprehensive care during oncologic surgery. In the peridelivery setting, preeclampsia, a cardiovascular disorder of pregnancy, affects maternal outcomes; however, biomarkers can risk-stratify females at risk for preeclampsia and hold promise for identifying the risk of adverse neurological and other health outcomes.

Conclusions

Research that builds diagnostic and predictive tools in pain and cardiovascular disease will help anesthesiologists minimize sex-related risks and side effects associated with anesthetics and peri-hospital treatments. Sex-specific anesthesia care will improve outcomes, as will the provision of practical information to patients and clinicians about the effectiveness of therapies and behavioral interventions. However, more research studies and specific analytic plans are needed to continue addressing sex-based outcomes in anesthesiology.

Exploring the Potential of Lidocaine in a Bilateral Erector Spinae Plane Block for Multimodal Analgesia in Partial Hepatectomy: A Case Report

The bilateral erector spinae plane block (ESP) has been effectively used for abdominal surgery, and the placement of catheters is known to extend the benefits of the block while allowing for the adjustment of local anesthetic doses as necessary. Since fascial plane blocks require high volumes of local anesthetic and a prolonged duration of effect, typically, long-acting local anesthetics are preferred. However, lidocaine is not commonly chosen for these types of blocks due to the large volumes required and the associated risk of local anesthetic systemic toxicity. Nonetheless, we present a case report of a patient who underwent a partial hepatectomy under general anesthesia, with perioperative placement of a bilateral ESP block. Bilateral catheters were inserted, and 1% lidocaine was selected as the local anesthetic due to resource limitations. The surgery proceeded without complications, and the patient reported effective analgesia and a high level of satisfaction. Our report suggests that the utilization of lidocaine in a continuous ESP block can be a successful alternative for partial hepatectomies.

Continuous Erector Spinae Plane Block Using Programmed Intermittent Bolus Regimen versus Intravenous Patient-Controlled Opioid Analgesia Within an Enhanced Recovery Program After Open Liver Resection in Patients with Coagulation Disorder: A Randomized, Controlled, Non-Inferiority Trial

Purpose

Postoperative pain after open hepatectomy is significant. Preoperative coagulopathy limits the use of epidural analgesia, the gold standard for pain control in open abdominal surgery. Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is a novel regional anesthesia technique that has been shown to provide effective analgesia in abdominal surgery. In this study, we compared the analgesic efficacy of patient-controlled continuous ESPB (CESPB) with hydromorphone patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) after right subcostal incision hepatectomies in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with preoperative coagulopathy.

Patients and Methods

In this randomized, controlled, unblinded, and noninferiority trial, 120 patients were randomized to receive either CESPB or PCIA as primary postoperative analgesia together with parecoxib (40mg Q12 h IV) for 3 days after surgery. The primary outcome was the average cough-elicited pain numeric rating scales (NRS) recorded at the seven follow-up time points of 20:00 on the day of surgery and 9:00 and 15:00 on the postoperative day 1 to day 3 (POD1 to POD3).

Results

The average cough-elicited pain NRS score was 2.402 in the CESPB group and 2.676 in the PCIA group. The mean difference (95% CI) was -0.274 (-0.620 to 0.072), which demonstrated the noninferiority of CESPB to PCIA. Patients in the CESPB group had less intraoperative opioid consumption, a lower incidence of moderate-to-severe pain and PONV at POD3, and early resumption of oral intake.

Conclusion

CESPB provides analgesic efficacy noninferior to opioid PCIA in the context of multimodal analgesia after right subcostal incision open hepatectomy.