Effect of a combination of general anesthesia and superficial cervical plexus block with ropivacaine on patients undergoing thyroidectomy

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effect of a combination of general anesthesia and superficial cervical plexus block (SCPB) with ropivacaine on patients undergoing thyroidectomy. Methods: Ninety-six (96) patients undergoing thyroidectomy were randomly divided into control and study group. Both groups were subjected to SCPB in combination with general anesthesia. Ropivacaine was used for SCPB in the study group. Vital signs, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, and serum interleukin 1β (IL-1β) levels were determined at various time points (T) after tracheal intubation. Occurrence of adverse reactions was recorded. Results: Compared with the control group, mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) levels from T1 to T5 were declined in study group (p < 0.01). VAS scores of study group were significantly lower at 12, 24, and 48 h after thyroidectomy than in control group (p < 0.05). At 5, 10 and 15 h after surgery, serum IL-1β level in study group was down-regulated (p < 0.05). Moreover, a marked decrease in the incidence of adverse reactions was also found in the study group post-surgery (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Ropivacaine is effective for SCPB in combination with general anesthesia in patients undergoing thyroidectomy. It is safer and more feasible in SCPB when combined with general anesthesia. However, further clinical trials are required to validate this technique.