The effect of preemptive pudendal nerve block on pain after anterior and posterior vaginal repair

Utilization, adherence, and outcomes of 17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate for recurrent spontaneous preterm birth prevention

OBJECTIVE

To describe the use of and adherence to 17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC), explore factors associated with its utilization and adherence, and to investigate the outcomes of 17-OHPC in a real-world setting.

METHODS

The Decision Resources Group (DRG) database (1 January 2012-31 December 2017) was used to identify women with diagnosis of "history of preterm labor", aged 16-50 years old, had a singleton gestation, were continuously enrolled for at least 6 months and 9 months before and after the index date, respectively, and had a delivery outcome recorded. Adequate adherence was defined and compared using two approaches: (1) patients receiving at least 10 injections of 17-OHPC; (2) number of received injections/eligible number of injections ≥0.7. The outcome of 17-OHPC was evaluated by the incidence rate of preterm birth (PTB). Bivariate tests compared patients' characteristics with their use of and adherence to 17-OHPC, and examined the associations between 17-OHPC utilization and incidence of diabetes or hypertension. Stepwise logistic regression was conducted to assess the effect of adherence on the delivery outcome.

RESULTS

Of 28,339 patients meeting study criteria, 2585 (9.1%) had ≥1 claim for 17-OHPC. An increasing trend of utilization was observed from 2012 to 2017 (7.6-13.1%). The utilization rate was highest in the Southwest US (13.8%) (p < .001). Commercial insurance patients (9.6%) were more likely to use 17-OHPC than Medicaid patients (7.9%) (p < .001). Patients with higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores were less likely to use 17-OHPC. Of women prescribed 17-OHPC, 792 (30.6%) and 424 (16.4%) were adherent using two definitions, respectively. No difference in PTB rate was observed between adherers and non-adherers (definition 1: aOR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.81-1.16; definition 2: aOR = 1.18, 95% CI = 0.95-1.48). No association was found between 17-OHPC and incidence of diabetes (p = .96); however, use of 17-OHPC was associated with a lower incidence rate of hypertension (p = .002).

CONCLUSIONS

17-OHPC utilization and adherence rates remain low. Insurance type and geographic region were associated with both utilization and adherence. There was no association between 17-OHPC adherence and effectiveness. More evidence is needed to determine if the use of 17-OHPC is advantageous in a sub-group of patients.

Bupivacaine Use After Posterior Colporrhaphy to Reduce Postoperative Pain: A Multicenter, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine if injection of bupivacaine into levator muscles after posterior colporrhaphy reduces postoperative pain.

METHODS

This study was a multicenter, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial of 130 participants, comparing bilateral infiltration of puborectalis and iliococcygeus muscles with 0.5% bupivacaine without epinephrine or normal saline after vaginal prolapse repair that included a posterior colporrhaphy. Primary outcome was the 24-hour cumulative Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score (measured as a sum of VAS pain scores at postoperative hours 0, 4, 8, 16, and 24) across intervention allocations. Secondary outcomes include the individual VAS pain scores per postoperative times 0, 4, 8, 16, and 24 hours and at 1 and 2 weeks, morphine equivalent use, postoperative void trial success, and time to first bowel movement.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight participants received bupivacaine, and 62 participants received normal saline. No significant differences were identified in the 24-hour postoperative cumulative VAS pain scores for the bupivacaine and normal saline arms, 19 and 18 (P = 0.71); individual pain scores per each postoperative assessment time; opiate use (24-hour use was 42 vs 48, P = 0.39; 48-hour use was 75 vs 37, P = 0.09); length of hospital stay (26 hours vs 22 hours, P = 0.069); hours to passing void trial (10 hours vs 12 hours, P = 0.17); or hours to first postoperative bowel movement (18 hours vs 12 hours, P = 0.78).

CONCLUSIONS

Use of bupivacaine for muscle block after posterior colporrhaphy does not reduce postoperative pain, opiate use, and time to first bowel movement, or increase void trial success.

Preoperative Pelvic Floor Injections With Bupivacaine and Dexamethasone for Pain Control After Vaginal Prolapse Repair: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

To test the hypothesis that preoperative pelvic floor muscle injections and pudendal nerve blocks with bupivacaine and dexamethasone would decrease postoperative pain after vaginal native tissue prolapse repairs, compared with saline and bupivacaine.

METHODS

We conducted a three-arm, double-blind, randomized trial of bilateral transobturator levator ani muscle injections and transvaginal pudendal nerve blocks before vaginal reconstructive and obliterative prolapse procedures (uterosacral ligament suspension, sacrospinous ligament fixation, levator myorrhaphy, or colpocleisis). Women were randomized to one of three study medication groups: 0.9% saline, 0.25% bupivacaine, or combination 0.25% bupivacaine with 4 mg dexamethasone. Our primary outcome was a numeric rating scale pain score on postoperative day 1. Using an analysis of variance evaluated at the two-sided 0.05 significance level, an assumed variance of the means of 0.67, and SD of 1.75, we calculated 21 women per arm to detect a 2-point change on the numeric rating scale (90% power), which we increased to 25 per arm to account for 20% attrition and the use of nonparametric statistical methods.

RESULTS

From June 2017 through April 2019, 281 women were screened and 75 (26.7%) were randomized with no differences in baseline demographics among study arms. There was no significant difference in median pain scores on postoperative day 1 among study groups (median [interquartile range] pain score 4.0 [2.0-7.0] for placebo vs 4.0 [2.0-5.5] for bupivacaine vs 4.0 [1.5-5.0] for bupivacaine with dexamethasone, P=.92).

CONCLUSION

Preoperative pelvic floor muscle injections and pudendal nerve blocks with bupivacaine and dexamethasone did not improve postoperative pain after vaginal native tissue prolapse procedures.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03040011.

Effect of Pudendal Blockade on Bladder Emptying After Midurethral Sling: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effect of bilateral pudendal nerve blockade on immediate postoperative bladder emptying after midurethral sling.

METHODS

We performed a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of women undergoing a midurethral sling procedure between October 2017 and February of 2019. Women older than 18 years were eligible if they were undergoing a midurethral sling with no concomitant procedures and had no preoperative urinary retention. Participant demographics and medical conditions that may affect bladder emptying were recorded preoperatively. Participants were randomized to a bilateral pudendal injection of either bupivacaine or normal saline. After induction of anesthesia, the pudendal injection was administered before any incisions. No other local anesthesia was used. The primary outcome was the rate of passing a standardized void trial. Secondary outcomes included perioperative pain scores, analgesia use, and complications.

RESULTS

Ninety-one participants were enrolled in the study. One patient had a delayed void trial on postoperative day 1, leaving 90 participants for the final analysis. Demographic and perioperative characteristics were similar between the groups. Adjusted logistic regression showed that the administration of a bupivacaine pudendal block led to a higher rate of void trial failure (43% vs 20%, odds ratio = 0.32, P = 0.02 adjusted for age, body mass index, and comorbidities). Postoperative pain scores and analgesia use were similar between the groups. Postoperative complications, including urinary tract infection, mesh erosion, pelvic hematoma, or urinary retention within 6 weeks were similar between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our prospective trial demonstrates that a bilateral pudendal blockade before midurethral sling procedure worsens postoperative bladder emptying.

Pre-emptive digitally guided pudendal block after posterior vaginal repair

Introduction and hypothesis

The aim of this study was to establish if digitally guided pre-emptive pudendal block (PDB) reduces postoperative pain and facilitates recovery after posterior vaginal repair under local anesthesia and sedation.

Methods

We carried out a prospective, randomized, double-blind trial in an outpatient surgery facility. Forty-one women between 18 and 70 years of age, scheduled for primary posterior vaginal reconstructive outpatient surgery, completed the study. The surgery was performed using sedation and local anesthesia with bupivacaine/adrenaline. At the end of surgery, 20 ml of either ropivacaine 7.5 mg/ml or sodium chloride (placebo) was administered as a digitally guided PDB. The primary aim was to establish if PDB with ropivacaine compared with placebo reduced the maximal pain as reported by visual analog scale (VAS) during the first 24 h after surgery. Secondary aims were to compare the duration and experience of the hospital stay, nausea, need for additional opioids, and adverse events.

Results

PDB with ropivacaine after local infiltration with bupivacaine/adrenaline after outpatient posterior repair did not significantly reduce maximal postoperative pain, need for hospital admittance, nausea, or opioid use. Mild transient sensory loss occurred after ropivacaine in two women. Two women the placebo group were unable to void owing to severe postoperative pain, which was resolved by a rescue PDB.

Conclusions

When bupivacaine/adrenaline is used for anesthesia in posterior vaginal repair, PDB with ropivacaine gives no benefit regarding postoperative pain, recovery or length of hospital stay. Rescue PDB can be useful for postoperative pain relief.

Enhanced ambulatory male urethral surgery: a pathway to successful outpatient urethroplasty

Background

Length of stay following anterior urethroplasty (AU) surgery has progressively shortened over the past two decades with most patients discharging the day of surgery or following overnight observation. We sought to assess overall analgesia and patient satisfaction with same-day discharge after AU surgery.

Methods

Our prospectively maintained anterior urethroplasty database was reviewed. Men were identified who underwent anterior urethroplasty surgery by a single surgeon (B.R.V.) with the Enhanced Ambulatory Male Urethral Surgery (EAMUS) protocol followed by same-day discharge. Patients were contacted within 3 weeks of surgery and completed validated assessment tools to characterize satisfaction with the outpatient experience and with analgesia management. A statistical analysis was performed to assess predictors of overall satisfaction with same-day discharge following AU surgery.

Results

Fifty-seven patients with median age 52.2 years underwent same-day AU surgery between August 2017 and October 2018. In total, 46 patients (80.7%) responded to post-discharge surveys assessing overall outpatient satisfaction and satisfaction with analgesia. Median satisfaction with outpatient experience (scale 1-5) was 5 (IQR 4, 5) with 93.4% of patients indicating they were satisfied to very satisfied (4 or 5). Median patient satisfaction with analgesia (scale 1-6) was 6 (IQR 5, 6) with 93.4% of patients indicating a satisfaction with analgesia score of ≥5 (satisfied to very satisfied). Median number of 5 mg oxycodone tablets used following discharge was 3 (IQR 0.75, 5). Postoperative complications occurred in 14 patients (25%) with 12 (86%) being low grade complications (Clavien-Dindo Classification ≤ II).

Conclusions

With appropriate preoperative education and peri-operative analgesia, anterior urethroplasty surgery can be performed with same-day discharge with comparable postoperative complication rates while maintaining excellent patient satisfaction. Additional high volume, prospectively collected studies are necessary to verify short-term satisfaction rates while confirming long-term urethroplasty success rates remain comparable to AU surgery performed with next day discharge.

Efficacy of pudendal nerve block for alleviation of catheter-related bladder discomfort in male patients undergoing lower urinary tract surgeries: A randomized, controlled, double-blind trial

BACKGROUND

Catheter-related bladder discomfort (CRBD) to an indwelling urinary catheter is defined as a painful urethral discomfort, resistant to conventional opioid therapy, decreasing the quality of postoperative recovery. According to anatomy, the branches of sacral somatic nerves form the afferent nerves of the urethra and bladder triangle, which deriving from the ventral rami of the second to fourth sacral spinal nerves, innervating the urethral muscles and sphincter of the perineum and pelvic floor; as well as providing sensation to the penis and clitoris in males and females, which including the urethra and bladder triangle. Based on this theoretical knowledge, we formed a hypothesis that CRBD could be prevented by pudendal nerve block.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate if bilateral nerve stimulator-guided pudendal nerve block could relieve CRBD through urethra discomfort alleviation.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Single-center randomized parallel controlled, double blind trial conducted at West China Hospital, Sichuan University, China.

PARTICIPANTS

One hundred and eighty 2 male adult patients under general anesthesia undergoing elective trans-urethral resection of prostate (TURP) or trans-urethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). Around 4 out of 182 were excluded, 178 patients were randomly allocated into pudendal and control groups, using computer-generated randomized numbers in a sealed envelope method. A total of 175 patients completed the study.

INTERVENTION

Pudendal group received general anesthesia along with nerve-stimulator-guided bilateral pudendal nerve block and control group received general anesthesia only.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Incidence and severity of CRBD; and postoperative VAS score of pain.

RESULTS

CRBD incidences were significantly lower in pudendal group at 30 minutes (63% vs 82%, P = .004), 2 hours (64% vs 90%, P < .000), 8 hours (58% vs 79%, P = .003) and 12 hours (52% vs 69%, P = .028) also significantly lower incidence of moderate to severe CRBD in pudendal group at 30 minutes (29% vs 57%, P < .001), 2 hours (22% vs 55%, P < .000), 8 hours (8% vs 27%, P = .001) and 12 hours (6% vs 16%, P = .035) postoperatively. The postoperative pain score in pudendal group was lower at 30 minutes (P = .003), 2 hours (P < .001), 8 hours (P < .001), and 12 hours (P < .001), with lower heart rate and mean blood pressure. One patient complained about weakness in levator ani muscle.

CONCLUSION

General anesthesia along with bilateral pudendal nerve block decreased the incidence and severity of CRBD for the first 12 hours postoperatively.

Prevention of catheter-related bladder discomfort - pudendal nerve block with ropivacaine versus intravenous tramadol: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background

Catheter-related bladder discomfort (CRBD) is a common distressing symptom complex during the postoperative period, especially after urologic procedures with a relatively greater size urinary catheter. In this study, we will enroll male patients undergoing elective prostate surgery with urinary catheterization under general anesthesia, and we will compare the efficacy of pudendal nerve block (PNB) and intravenous tramadol in CRBD prevention.

Methods/design

This trial is a prospective, randomized controlled trial that will test the superiority of bilateral PNB with 0.33 % ropivacaine compared with intravenous tramadol 1.5 mg/kg for CRBD prevention. A total of 94 male patients undergoing elective prostate surgery with urinary catheterization after anesthesia induction will be randomized to receive either bilateral PNB with 0.33 % ropivacaine (the PNB group) or intravenous tramadol 1.5 mg/kg (the tramadol group) after the completion of surgery. The primary outcome is the incidence of CRBD. The most important secondary outcome is the severity of postoperative CRBD, and other secondary outcomes include Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score for postoperative pain; incidence of postoperative side effects such as postoperative nausea/vomiting, sedation, dizziness, and dry mouth; postoperative requirement for tramadol as a rescue treatment for CRBD and sufentanil as a rescue analgesic for postoperative pain; and NRS score for acceptance of an indwelling urinary catheter.

Discussion

This trial is planned to test the superiority of PNB with 0.33 % ropivacaine compared with intravenous tramadol 1.5 mg/kg. It may provide a basis for a new clinical practice for the prevention of CRBD.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02683070. Registered on 11 February 2016.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-016-1575-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.