Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jul 2015
Pneumoperitoneum Does Not Influence Spread of Local Anesthetics in Midaxillary Approach Transversus Abdominis Plane Block: A Descriptive Cadaver Study.
The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block can be used as part of a multimodal analgesia protocol after abdominal surgery. This study investigated whether a pneumoperitoneum during abdominal surgery influences the spread of local anesthetics. ⋯ The stretch of the abdominal wall caused by the insufflation of the abdomen does not influence the spread of dye in the abdominal wall. Because of the absence of posterior spread, regardless of the timing of a midaxillary ultrasound-guided approach, we believe that a posterior approach should be chosen if posterior spread is desired.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jul 2015
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyMedial Branch Blocks or Intra-Articular Injections as a Prognostic Tool Before Lumbar Facet Radiofrequency Denervation: A Multicenter, Case-Control Study.
Medial branch blocks (MBBs) and intra-articular (IA) facet joint injections are both used to diagnose facet joint pain and are presumed to be equivalent. No study has sought to determine which has a better prognostic value before radiofrequency (RF) denervation. ⋯ When used as a prognostic tool before lumbar facet radiofrequency, MBB may be associated with a higher success rate than IA injections. Our results should be confirmed by large, prospective, randomized studies.