title: Single-dose paravertebral blockade versus epidural blockade for pain relief after open renal surgery: A prospective randomized study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Paravertebral block (PVB) has been an established technique for providing analgesia to the chest and abdomen. We conducted the current study to compare single-dose PVB versus single-dose epidural blockade (EP) for pain relief after renal surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty patients scheduled for renal surgery were randomly assigned into two groups according to the analgesic technique, PVB group or EP group. General anesthesia was induced for all patients. Postoperative pain was assessed over 24 h using 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS). Postoperative total pethidine consumption was recorded. Any postoperative events, such as nausea, vomiting, shivering, or respiratory complications, were recorded. Hemodynamics and blood gasometry were also recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EP group showed significant decrease of both heart rate and mean blood pressure at most of the operative periods when compared with PVB group. There was no difference in total rescue analgesic consumption. Postoperative VAS showed no significant difference between the studied groups. Postoperative events were comparable in both the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Single injection PVB resulted in similar analgesia but greater hemodynamic stability than epidural analgesia in patients undergoing renal surgery, therefore this technique may be recommended for patients with coexisting circulatory disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Surgical Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hazem Ebrahem
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Moawad
authors.forename: Sherif Abdo
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mousa
authors.forename: Ahmed S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: El-Hefnawy
keywords: Anesthesia; epidural; pain and renal surgery; paravertebral