The safety and efficacy of extended thromboprophylaxis with fondaparinux after major orthopedic surgery of the lower limb with or without a neuraxial or deep peripheral nerve catheter: the EXPERT Study.

BACKGROUND: The benefit-risk ratio of extended fondaparinux therapy has not been assessed in patients undergoing major lower limb joint arthroplasty. Few data on the concomitant use of fondaparinux and continuous neuraxial or deep peripheral nerve blockade are available. We performed a prospective intervention study in patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery primarily designed to assess the efficacy of fondaparinux when drug administration was withheld for 48 h to permit removal of a neuraxial or deep peripheral nerve catheter. The safety and efficacy of extended fondaparinux therapy for the prevention of venous thromboembolism were also evaluated. METHODS: Patients received a daily subcutaneous injection of 2.5 mg fondaparinux for 3 to 5 wk postoperatively. In patients with a neuraxial or deep peripheral nerve catheter, the catheter was removed 36 h after the last fondaparinux dose. The next fondaparinux dose was administered 12 h after catheter removal. The primary end points were symptomatic venous thromboembolism and major bleeding up to 4-6 wk after surgery. RESULTS: We recruited 5704 patients. A neuraxial or deep peripheral nerve catheter was inserted in 1553 (27%) patients and 78 (1.4%) patients, respectively. The rate of venous thromboembolism was 1.0% (54 of 5387). There was no difference between patients without (1.1%) or with (0.8%) a catheter (the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval of the odds ratio, 1.49, being below the predetermined noninferiority margin of 1.75). The incidence of major bleeding was 0.8% (42 of 5382). No neuraxial or perineural hematoma was reported. CONCLUSIONS: Once-daily subcutaneous injection of 2.5 mg fondaparinux given for 3 to 5 wk was effective and safe for prevention of venous thromboembolism after major orthopedic surgery. Temporary discontinuation of fondaparinux for 48 h permitted safe removal of a neuraxial or deep peripheral nerve catheter without decreasing thromboprophylatic efficacy.

Effects of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia with morphine, continuous epidural analgesia, and continuous femoral nerve sheath block on rehabilitation after unilateral total-hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Regional analgesic techniques allow better postoperative rehabilitation and shorter hospital stay after major knee surgery. The authors tested the hypothesis that similar results could be obtained after total-hip arthroplasty. METHODS: Forty-five patients scheduled for THA under general anesthesia were randomly divided into 3 groups. Postoperative analgesia was provided during the first 48 hours, with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) induced by morphine (dose, 1.5 mg; lockout interval, 8 min) in group IV, continuous femoral nerve sheath block in group FNB, and continuous epidural analgesia in group EPI. The day after surgery, the 3 groups started identical physical therapy regimens. Pain scores at rest and on movement, supplemental analgesia, side effects, daily degree of maximal hip flexion and abduction, day of first walk, and duration of hospital stay were recorded. RESULTS: Population data, quality of pain relief, postoperative hip rehabilitation, and duration of hospital stay were comparable in the 3 groups. When compared with the two other techniques, continuous FNB was associated with a lower incidence of side effects (no nausea/vomiting, urinary retention, arterial hypotension, or catheter problem during the first 48 hours in 20%, 60%, and 13% of patients in groups IV, FNB, and EPI, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that IV PCA with morphine, continuous FNB, and continuous epidural analgesia provide similar pain relief and allow comparable hip rehabilitation and duration of hospital stay after total-hip arthroplasty (THA). As continuous FNB is associated with less side effects, it appears to offer the best option of the three.

Pain relief after arthroscopic shoulder surgery: a comparison of intraarticular analgesia, suprascapular nerve block, and interscalene brachial plexus block.

In this prospective, randomized, blinded study, we assessed the analgesic efficacy of interscalene brachial plexus block (ISB), suprascapular nerve block (SSB), and intraarticular local anesthetic (IA) after arthroscopic acromioplasty. One-hundred-twenty patients were divided into 4 groups of 30. In Group SSB, the block was performed with 10 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine. In Group IA, 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine was administered intraarticularly at the end of surgery. In Group ISB, the block was performed with 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine. A control group was included for comparison. General anesthesia was administered to all patients. Patients were observed during the first 24 h. Pain scores, supplemental analgesia, satisfaction scores, and side effects were recorded at 4 and 24 h. No significant difference was observed between the IA and control groups. When compared with these groups, Groups SSB and ISB had significantly lower pain scores. At 4-h follow-up, better pain relief on movement was noted in Group ISB than in Group SSB. When compared with controls, a significant reduction in morphine consumption and a better satisfaction score were noted only in Group ISB. We conclude that ISB is the most efficient analgesic technique after arthroscopic acromioplasty. SSN block would be a clinically appropriate alternative.

Single-injection applications for foot and ankle surgery.

Foot or ankle surgery is often performed in an ambulatory care setting. The post-operative pain that follows can be moderate to severe in intensity and difficult to control with oral analgesics. Regional anaesthetic techniques have been advocated for such procedures. Wound infiltration with long-acting local anaesthetic provides post-operative pain relief which, though efficient, lasts for too short a time. Intravenous regional anaesthesia (IVRA) is a safe anaesthetic technique for minor surgery of short duration. It is not indicated for painful and/or complex procedures. Ankle block is convenient for most procedures but is somewhat less reliable than popliteal sciatic nerve block. Associated with a saphenous or femoral nerve block, posterior popliteal sciatic nerve block is the technique of choice. Patients can be safely discharged even when long-acting local anaesthetics are used. In major surgery a continuous technique can be proposed. When the prone position is impossible the lateral approach is an efficient alternative.