Effect of infraorbital nerve block on postoperative pain and 30-day morbidity at the donor site in buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty

Background and Aims: Buccal mucosa harvest for substitution urethroplasty can be painful, and may be associated with long-term complications such as perioral numbness, persistent difficulty with mouth opening, and change in salivary function. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of infraorbital nerve block (IOB) in relieving postoperative pain at the donor site of the buccal mucosal graft (BMG) and its associated morbidity at 30 days. Material and Methods: Thirty adults scheduled for BMG urethroplasty were enrolled in this study and were randomized to receive either no block group I (control) and IOB group II intraorally with 1 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine. Pain was assessed by visual analog scale, intraoral morbidity, and patient satisfaction in the immediate postoperative period. All patients were reviewed after 1 month for morbidity such as perioral numbness, pain on mastication, and tightness on mouth opening. Statistical analysis was done using Mann–Whitney's U and Chi-square tests. Results: Median time to pain-free oral intake for liquids (group I: 2–5 days, group II: 1 day, P < 0.001) and solids (group I: 4 days, group II: 2 days, P < 0.001) was earlier in group II. At the follow-up after 1 month, one patient in group II and three patients in group I showed perioral numbness (P = 0.026), and five patients had pain on mastication in group I (P = 0.016). Conclusion: IOB is associated with postoperative analgesia and facilitation of early food intake, mitigating the morbidity of the donor site and provides satisfaction

Role of buprenorphine in prolonging the duration of post-operative analgesia in percutaneous nephrolithotomy: Comparison between bupivacaine versus bupivacaine and buprenorphine combination

Introduction: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is the treatment of choice for large renal calculi. Pain around the nephrostomy tube is a clinical problem and we have previously reported alleviation of pain by peritubal block with bupivacaine, which lasted for 14 hours. The present study aimed to investigate the role of buprenorphine and bupivacaine combination in prolonging the duration of analgesia in peritubal block. Materials and Methods: A prospective, randomized controlled study was undertaken in 40 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade I and II patients who were scheduled for PCNL. Group I patients received 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine and group II patients received 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine with 100 μg of buprenorphine. Peritubal infiltration was given under fluoroscopic guidance along the nephrostomy tube from the renal capsule to the skin. Post-operative pain was assessed by Visual Analog Score (VAS), dynamic VAS (DVAS), sedation score, duration of analgesia and number of rescue analgesic demands. Rescue analgesia was inj tramadol 1 mg/kg IV if pain score exceeded 3. Results: Demographic data were comparable between the groups. Median duration of analgesia was 16 h in group I and 20 h in group II (P = 0.002). The maximum median VAS was 4 in group I and 2 in group II (P = 0.002). The median area under curve (AUC) for VAS was 7 and 5 in groups I and II, respectively (P = 0.047). The median maximum DVAS in group I was 6 and 4 in group II. The median AUC for DVAS in 24 h was 16 in group I and 15 in group II (P = 0.017). Conclusions: Peritubal infiltration of 0.25% bupivacaine with 100 μg buprenorphine around a nephrostomy tube increased the duration of analgesia following PCNL without any side-effects