Dexamethasone Plus Bupivacaine Versus Bupivacaine in Bilateral Trans-incisional Paravertebral Block in Lumbar Spine Surgeries, a Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objectives: Few studies examined the analgesic effects of dexamethasone in lumbar paravertebral block, specifically the transincisional approach. This study aimed to compare dexamethasone with bupivacaine versus bupivacaine alone for bilateral transincisional paravertebral block (TiPVB) for postoperative analgesia in lumbar spine surgeries. Materials and Methods: Fifty patients who were aged 20 to 60 years and had American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA-PS) I or II of either sex were randomly allocated into 2 equal groups. Both groups received combined general anesthesia and bilateral lumbar TiPVB. However, in group 1 (dexamethasone group) (n=25), patients received 14 mL of bupivacaine 0.20% plus 1 mL containing 4 mg of dexamethasone on each side, while, in group 2 (control group) (n=25), patients received 14 mL of bupivacaine 0.20% plus 1 mL of saline on each side. Time to first analgesic need was the primary outcome, while total opioid consumption during the first 24 hours after surgery, the Visual Analog Scale for pain perception (0-10), and the incidence of side effects were secondary outcomes. Results: The mean time to the first analgesic requirement was significantly prolonged among patients in the dexamethasone group than the control group (mean±SD: 18.4±0.8 vs. 8.7±1.2 h, respectively) (P<0.001). Patients in the dexamethasone group had lower total opiates consumption than the control) P<0.001). Although nonsignificant, the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was more frequent among the control group (P=0.145). Discussion: Adding dexamethasone to bupivacaine in TiPVB resulted in a prolonged analgesia-free period and lower opioid consumption in lumbar spine surgeries with comparable incidence of adverse events.

Effect of Surgeon-Performed Thoracic Paravertebral Block on Postoperative Pain in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

“…The analgesic effect of PVB has also been studied in spinal surgery. Alansary et al revealed that bilateral trans-incisional PVB with dexamethasone led to a reduction in opioid consumption [ 36 ]. The erector spinae plane block, which works in a mechanism similar to that of PVB, has been well studied in spinal surgery, with common findings of lower postoperative pain scores and reduced opioid use [ 37 , 38 , 39 ].…”