Nerve Block on Pain After Mammaplasty: A Meta-Analysis of randomized controlled studies

Abstract

Background: Nerve block showed some potential in alleviating pain after mammaplasty. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the efficacy of nerve block for pain control after mammaplasty. Methods: The databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases were systematically searched for collecting the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding the impact of nerve block on pain intensity after mammaplasty. Results: This meta-analysis included 4 RCTs. Compared with control group after mammaplasty, nerve block resulted in remarkably reduced pain scores at 1 hour (mean difference [MD] = −1.84; 95% CI = −2.49 to −1.20; P < .00001), 3 hours (MD = −1.04; 95% CI = −1.47 to −0.62; P < .00001), 6 hours (MD = −0.96; 95% CI = −1.48 to −0.43; P = .0004), and analgesic consumption (standard mean difference = −1.27; 95% CI = −1.73 to −0.82; P < .00001), but showed no significant impact on pain scores within 24 hours (MD = −0.31; 95% CI = −1.05 to 0.43; P = .41). Conclusions: Nerve block was associated with substantially reduced pain intensity after mammaplasty.