Continuous paravertebral block for postoperative pain compared to general anaesthesia and wound infiltration for major oncological breast surgery

Esther A C Bouman, Maurice Theunissen, Alfons GH Kessels, Kristien BMI Keymeulen, Elbert AJ Joosten, Marco AE Marcus, Wolfgang F Buhre, Hans-Fritz Gramke

We hypothesized that improved acute postoperative pain relief will be achieved using general anaesthesia (GA) either in combination with continuous thoracic paravertebral block (GA-cPVB) or single shot (GA-sPVB) as compared to GA supplemented by local wound infiltration (GA-LWI) after unilateral major breast cancer surgery. A randomised controlled trial was conducted in 46 adult women in a day-care or short-stay hospital setting after major breast cancer surgery. Pain-intensity was measured using an 11-point visual analogue scale (VAS) until postoperative day 2. GA-sPVB was stopped due to slow inclusion. No significant difference in VAS score was noted between GA-LWI (VAS median 0.5 (interquartile range 0.18-2.00)) and GA-cPVB, (VAS 0.3 (0.00-1.55, p = 0.195)) 24 hours after surgery or at any point postoperatively until postoperative day 2. We conclude that both GA-LWI and GA-cPVB anaesthetic techniques are equally effective in treatment of acute postoperative pain after major oncological breast surgery. As GA-LWI is easily to perform with fewer complications and it is more cost-effective it should be preferred over GA-cPVB.