Regional and Neuraxial Analgesia for Plastic Surgery: Surgeon’s and Anesthesiologist’s Perspectives

Multimodal Analgesia in the Aesthetic Plastic Surgery: Concepts and Strategies

Postoperative pain management is crucial for aesthetic plastic surgery procedures. Poorly controlled postoperative pain results in negative physiologic effects and can affect length of stay and patient satisfaction. In light of the growing opioid epidemic, plastic surgeons must be keenly familiar with opioid-sparing multimodal analgesia regimens to optimize postoperative pain control.

Methods

A review study based on multimodal analgesia was conducted.

Results

We present an overview of pain management strategies pertaining to aesthetic plastic surgery and offer a multimodal analgesia model for outpatient aesthetic surgery practices.

Conclusion

This review article presents an evidence-based approach to multimodal pain management for aesthetic plastic surgery.

Applications of Ultrasound in the Postoperative Period: A Review

Background Recent advances in ultrasound technology have further increased its potential for routine use by plastic and reconstructive surgeons.

Methods An extensive literature review was performed to determine the most common applications of ultrasound in the postoperative care of plastic and reconstructive surgery patients.

Results In contrast with other available imaging modalities, ultrasound is cost-effective, rapid to obtain, eliminates the need for ionizing radiation or intravenous contrast, and has virtually no contraindications. In addition to its diagnostic capabilities, ultrasound can also be used to facilitate treatment of common postoperative concerns conveniently at the bedside or in an office setting.

Conclusion This article presents a review of the current applications of ultrasound imaging in the postoperative care of plastic and reconstructive surgery patients, including free flap monitoring following microsurgery, diagnosis and treatment of hematoma and seroma, including those associated with BIA-ALCL, and breast implant surveillance.

Does Neuraxial Anesthesia as General Anesthesia Damage DNA? A Pilot Study in Patients Undergoing Orthopedic Traumatological Surgery

The human organism is exposed daily to many endogenous and exogenous substances that are the source of oxidative damage. Oxidative damage is one of the most frequent types of cell component damage, leading to oxidation of lipids, proteins, and the DNA molecule. The predominance of these damaging processes may later be responsible for human diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative disease, or heart failure. Anesthetics undoubtedly belong to the group of substances harming DNA integrity. The goal of this pilot study is to evaluate the range of DNA damage by general and neuraxial spinal anesthesia in two groups of patients undergoing orthopedic traumatological surgery. Each group contained 20 patients, and blood samples were collected before and after anesthesia; the degree of DNA damage was evaluated by the comet assay method. Our results suggest that general anesthesia can cause statistically significant damage to the DNA of patients, whereas neuraxial anesthesia has no negative influence.

Pectoral Block Failure May Be Due to Incomplete Coverage of Anatomical Targets: A Dissection Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The popularization of ultrasound-guided nerve blocks in cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery calls for better anatomical understanding of chest wall innervation. When inserting subpectoral implants, pain from pocket dissection, stretching of muscle, and release of costal attachments may be relieved by blocking the pectoral nerves in the interpectoral (IP) space.We describe the variable anatomy of the pectoral nerves in the IP space in order to define the area to be covered for sufficient blockade, based on cadaver dissections.

METHODS

Twenty-six fresh cadavers were dissected bilaterally. The number, location, and course of the pectoral nerves were recorded. Distances to surface landmarks (sternum, clavicle, and costae) and ultrasound landmarks (thoracoacromial artery [TAA] and pectoralis minor muscle [Pm]) were recorded.

RESULTS

The lateral pectoral nerve and the TAA entered together into the IP space 8.9 cm (range, 8.0-12.0 cm) lateral to the midsternal line. The medial pectoral nerve (MPN) had between 1 and 4 branches that pierced the Pm, and 69% had additional branches lateral to the Pm. The muscle-piercing MPN branches were located 3.8 cm (range, 0.4-8.1 cm) and the lateral MPN branches 5.4 cm (range, 3.0-8.4 cm) from the lateral pectoral nerve. The IP course was 2.6 cm (range, 0.7-6.5 cm). All specimens were asymmetrical in location or number of MPN branches.

CONCLUSIONS

The MPN branches that innervate the lower part of the pectoralis major muscle are asymmetrical and variable in location and length; all located in a triangular area easily defined by sonographic landmarks, lateral to the TAA.

Pain Management in Abdominal Wall Reconstruction

Background:

In abdominal wall reconstruction, adequate pain control and minimization of narcotic consumption are essential to improving patient outcomes and satisfaction. Previous studies have examined the role of individual strategies, such as neuraxial analgesia and multimodal analgesia. However, there has not been a study that examined all potential determinants of postoperative narcotic requirements, including intraoperative strategies.

Methods:

Consecutive patients who underwent abdominal wall reconstruction were reviewed. Preoperative factors (chronic preoperative narcotic usage, indication for abdominal wall reconstruction, administration of neuraxial analgesia), intraoperative factors (intraoperative narcotics administered, method of mesh fixation), and postoperative factors (multimodal analgesia, complications) were collected. The main outcomes were daily amount of opioids used and length of hospital stay.

Results:

Ninety-three patients were included in the study. Patients who had an epidural required lower doses of opioids postoperatively, while those on chronic preoperative opioids, those whose mesh was fixated using transfascial sutures, and those who received large doses of opioids intraoperatively required higher doses of postoperative opioids. Hospital length of stay was longer in patients who received transfascially sutured mesh and those on chronic opioids preoperatively.

Conclusions:

This study provides potential strategies to improve pain control and minimize narcotic consumption postoperatively in patients undergoing abdominal wall reconstruction. Intraoperative administration of opioids should be minimized to avoid the development of tolerance. Epidural analgesia reduces postoperative narcotic requirement and may be especially beneficial in patients at highest risk for postoperative pain, including those on chronic opioids, and those in whom transfascial sutures are used for mesh fixation.

Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Using Retrorectus Self-adhering Mesh: A Novel Approach

BACKGROUND

In abdominal wall reconstruction, the retrorectus plane offers an ideal location for mesh placement. Mesh fixation in this plane is often achieved using transfascial sutures, which risks entrapping intercostal nerves and causing significant pain, and takes time to place. A novel alternative is the use of sutureless self-adhering mesh. Although the use of this mesh in inguinal hernias has been well described, studies on its use in abdominal wall reconstruction are lacking.

METHODS

Consecutive patients who underwent ventral hernia repair with retrorectus mesh were reviewed. This included patients who received transfascially sutured mesh and those who received sutureless self-adhering mesh. All patients were followed up for at least 12 months. The amount of narcotics required by each patient postoperatively was calculated. Surgical-site occurrences (SSOs) and hernia recurrence and bulge were measured.

RESULTS

Twenty-six patients underwent abdominal wall reconstruction with retrorectus mesh. This included 12 patients with transfascially sutured mesh and 14 patients with self-adhering mesh. Mean follow-up was 600 days. Baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. Patients receiving self-adhering mesh required significantly less narcotics than patients with transfascially sutured mesh. There were no significant differences in the rate of SSOs between the 2 groups. No hernia recurrences, bulges, or chronic pain occurred in either group.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to compare the outcomes of retrorectus self-adhering mesh and transfascially sutured mesh in abdominal wall reconstruction. Our results show low rates of SSO, recurrence, and bulge with both options, with significantly less acute pain with self-adhering mesh.