Lumbar plexus blockade with ropivacaine for postoperative pain management in elderly patients undergoing urologic surgeries.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the effectiveness and safety of lumbar plexus blockade with ropivacaine for postoperative pain relief in elderly patients undergoing flank incision for urological surgery.


METHODS
60 urological patients (>65 years old) were chosen randomly for paravertebral lumbar blockade. Postoperatively ropivacaine was used in group I (n = 30) and bupivacaine was administered in group II (n = 30) for lumbar plexus blockade. Heart rates, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, peripheral oxygen saturations, analgesia levels with visual analogue scales (VAS) were measured postoperatively at 5 and 30 min and 1, 3, 6, 8,and 12 h. Patient satisfaction scores and complications were recorded.


RESULTS
The hemodynamic parameters of the groups were in the normal ranges (p > 0.05). VAS were significantly decreased at 60 min in both groups (p < 0.05) and no important increase was observed during the first 8 h (p > 0.05). After the 8-hour measurement, analgesic was given to 7 patients in group I and 6 patients in group II (p < 0.05). There were no complications (p > 0.05). Patient satisfaction scores were found to be higher for all patients (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
In elderly patients, lumbar plexus blockade with ropivacaine can be a simple, safe and effective analgesic technique especially in the early postoperative period after urologic surgeries with flank incision.
Akin
Sule
S
Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, University of Baskent, Adana, Turkey.
Aribogan
Anis
A
Turunc
Tahsin
T
Aridogan
Atilla
A
D000368:Aged; D000577:Amides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008160:Lumbosacral Plexus; D008297:Male; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000077212:Ropivacaine; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014570:Urologic Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures
D000577:Amides; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000077212:Ropivacaine