Abstract 4395
Background
Ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia has recently become very popular. The aim of this study was to compare the efficiency of Ultrasound-guided femoro-popliteal block (US-FPB) against spinal anaesthesia (SA) for foot and ankle surgeries in lower limb cancer (sarcoma and skin cancer) patients and to further define its role in intra-operative anaesthesia and post-operative analgesia.
Methods
This randomized controlled trial included 52 adult lower limb cancer patients. They were randomized into two groups. Patients from group A (experimental) received Ultrasound-guided femoro-popliteal block, while a spinal anesthesia (SA) was given in group B patients. In both the groups, Bupivacaine (0.5%) was used as local anaesthetic drug. The statistical analysis was done using student’s t-test and p value <0.05 was considered significant.
Results
25 patients from the first and 24 patients from the second group completed the study. Using modified Bromage score, levels of anaesthesia were found to be sufficient in both the groups without any statistically significant differences (p value=0.67). Average duration of postoperative analgesia was 12.3 hours and 2.7 hours in group A and B, respectively (p value<0.001).
Conclusions
Both US-FPB and SA provided sufficient and comparable anaesthesia for ankle and foot fractures. However, post-operative analgesia was significantly longer in US-FPB group with subsequent much less requirement of post-operative analgesics. Better and longer post-operative analgesia in US-FPB group also resulted in shorter rehabilitation periods and decreased time-gaps for beginning of joint movements.
Clinical trial identification
Legal entity responsible for the study
Nupur Moda.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Editorial Acknowledgement
Disclosure
The author has declared no conflicts of interest.