The Effect of Superficial Cervical Plexus Blockage With Ultrasound Guidance on Pain After Thyroidectomy

The main complaint after thyroidectomy is pain upon swallowing. It has been proven that postoperative uncontrolled pain can lead to chronic pain. We investigated the effectiveness of superficial cervical plexus block with ultrasound guidance on pain after thyroidectomy. This is a prospective, double-blind clinical trial study on patients aged 18-60 years who are candidates for thyroidectomy. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. The treatment group underwent superficial cervical plexus block under ultrasound guidance with an injection of 10 ml of ropivacaine 0.2%, and the control group received 10 ml of normal saline after sedation and before general anesthesia. The hemodynamic variables, amount of remifentanil used for hemodynamic stability, the severity of perioperative pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting, and the need for analgesics were compared between the two groups. The severity of pain in the treatment group at the time of discharge from recovery, 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery was 1.36, 1.76, 1.46, 1.24, and 0.44, respectively and in the control group was 3.12, 3.30, 3.82, 2.96 and 2.02 (P 0.001). The average dose of meperidine administration for pain relief during recovery in the treatment group was 2.8 (7.84) mg, and in the control group was 9.2 (11.92) mg (P 0.002). The need for diclofenac for analgesia during 24hours after surgery in the block group was 4 (19.79) mg and in the control group was 64 (69.28) mg, (P 0.001). Superficial cervical plexus block can significantly reduce perioperative pain and need analgesic administration during and after thyroidectomy.