Reducing the incidence of postoperative headache, nausea and vomiting in conventional thyroidectomy by using ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block / 中国医师进修杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the effect of ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block (SGB) in the incidence of postoperative headache, nausea and vomiting in conventional thyroidectomy. Methods Ninety patients undergoing conventional thyroidectomy were randomly allocated to three groups with 30 patients in each group. In group L, SGB was performed with 5 ml 0.5% lidocaine; in group N, SGB was performed with 5 ml 0.9% sodium chloride; and in group C, no prior block was performed. Postoperatively, during the 48 h after surgery, every episode of postoperative headache and postoperative nausea and vomiting was recorded and a safety assessment was performed. In group L and group N, the hemodynamic status of the vertebral artery and carotid artery was recorded before and after the SGB was performed. In group C, the hemodynamic status of the vertebral artery and carotid artery was recorded before and after the neck was in the full extension position. Results One patient of group N and one patient of group C was discharged. During the 48 h after surgery, headache occured in 5 patients (16.7%) of group L, 8 patients (27.6%) of group N, and 17 patients (58.6%) of group C, and the headache rate in group C was significantly higher than that in group L (P=0.0007). The headache mostly occurred at 2 h and 4 h after operation. During the 48 h after surgery, nausea and vomiting occured in 8 patients (26.7%) of group L, 11 patients (37.9%) of group N, and 20 patients (60.9%) of group C, and the nausea and vomiting rate in group C was significantly higher than that in group L (P=0.0017) and group N (P=0.0343). The nausea and vomiting mostly occurred at 2 h and 4 h after operation.In group L and group N, and the inner diameters of the vertebral and carotid arteries after SGB were wider than those before SGB (P<0.05). In group C, the inner diameters of the vertebral and carotid arteries after the neck extension position were narrower than prostration position (P<0.05). No side effects were observed during or after SGB. Conclusions Preoperative SGB performed with 5 ml 0.5%lidocaine is an effective technique for reducing postoperative headache and nausea and vomiting after thyroidectomy.