Effects of combination Use of pectoral nerve block and serratus plane block on acute pain following breast reconstruction with a tissue expander: a prospective cohort study in Japan

There are still few studies which have addressed pain management in breast reconstruction in the acute phase. We conducted the current study in Japan to identify the effect of Pectoral Nerve Block Type II (PECS II) and Serratus Plane Block (SPB) for acute postoperative pain after tissue expander (TE) insertion.

Patients who underwent TE reconstruction from January 2016 to April 2017 were divided into groups treated with (LB) and without (Control) nerve block using levobupivacaine. Participants responded a questionnaire about acute postoperative pain for 7 days after operation.

A total of 46 women participated in the study. On a visual scale analog (VAS) for pain at rest and during movement, pain intensity was significantly lower in the LB group than in the Control group on postoperative day (POD) 0 (p = 0.04, p < 0.001), POD 1 (both p < 0.001), and POD 2 (p = 0.008, p = 0.03). There was significantly less use of painkillers in the LB group on POD 0 (p = 0.04) and POD 1 (p = 0.02).

Combined use of PECS II block and SPB would be effective for managing acute pain in the Japanese population after breast reconstruction using TE insertion.

Level IV, Therapeutic.