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Papers of the Week


2023 Jan 13


Plast Reconstr Surg

Enhanced Pain Control after Reduction Mammaplasty with Combination Bupivacaine and Dexamethasone Regional Block: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial (NCT04919317).

Authors

Taylor GA, Panichella JC, Neusner A, Lo A, Vazquez D, Zhao H, Trehan G, Livelsberger J, Gassman AA
Plast Reconstr Surg. 2023 Jan 13.
PMID: 36728270.

Abstract

There are many approaches to pain control in reduction mammaplasty. Preoperative bupivacaine regional blocks control pain relatively inexpensively ($0.07/mL), but last only 8-hours. A liposomal bupivacaine formulation lasts 72-hours but can be costly ($17.21/mL). Orthopedic and thoracic surgeries have demonstrated that dexamethasone ($0.44/mL) plus bupivacaine can prolong analgesia. We conducted a double-blind, randomized controlled trial to determine if dexamethasone plus bupivacaine regional block improves postoperative pain control, reduces inpatient narcotic usage, and improves patient satisfaction (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04919317).