Sinus surgery outcomes improved with SPG Nerve Block
The study involved 30 patients. 15 patients received general anaesthesia only and the other 15 received general anaesthesia and Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block. Blocking of the Sphenopalatine Ganglion was done by administering anaesthesia followed by a blocking agent to the ganglion. Drugs were administered by inserting a needle through the nasal passage to where the Sphenopalatine Ganglion is located. The anaesthesia only group is called the ‘non-block group’ and the Sphenopalatine Ganglion blocked group is called the ‘block group’ the general anaesthetic given to patients was isoflurane. Patients were also given esmolol to control fast and irregular heartbeats. The amounts of drugs administered to each group was measured. Blood pressure during the operation was kept at 55-60 mm Hg. Patients were able to give a score of the breathing complications experienced after surgery through a scoring system. The amount of pain medication each group took was measured.
The block group took less anaesthetic and less esmolol than the non-block group. The non-block group also took longer to recover than the block group. The block group had better scores for breathing complications after surgery, lower pain scores until 150 minutes and consumed less pain medication than the non-block group. Other complications after surgery were experienced mostly by the non-block group.
Sinus surgery performed by Bilateral endoscopic Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block (SPGB) with general anaesthesia can reduce the use of anaesthesia during the operation. It can also decrease blood loss and the use of pain medication and medication for increased heart rate after surgery. Therefore, patients feel less pain and recover better.
Sinuses: spaces inside the skull in the regions around the eyes, nose and front part of the face.
Sinus surgery: a surgery performed to unblock the sinuses
Sphenopalatine Ganglion: A group of nerve cells that are linked to the trigeminal nerve- the nerve which sends information about sensation, such as pain, to the face. The Sphenopalatine Ganglion is found behind the nose and eye.
Bilateral endoscopic Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block (SPGB): a procedure which uses anaesthetics or other numbing drugs to block the group of nerves behind the eye and nose, thus stopping communication between these nerves and the trigeminal nerve. This technique has been found to alleviate head and facial pain.
General Anesthesia (GA): when a person is given medications to remove pain sensation.
Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP): the average blood pressure of a person during the process of a heartbeat.
Postoperative Respiratory System Evaluation Scoring (PRSES): the scoring system used to determine respiratory complications in patients after surgery.
Esmolol: a drug used to control fast or irregular heartbeats
Tramadol: a type of pain medication
View the original migraine study at this link: Role of intraoperative endoscopic sphenopalatine ganglion block in sinonasal surgery
- ” The use of endoscopy certainly facilitates the identification of the anatomic region corresponding to the pterygopalatine fossa, thus making it possible to inject the target site directly, although there are still a number of technical limitations preventing it:…”
- “Other postoperative complications were more frequent in non-block group than block group at all evaluation times”
- “The use of endoscopy certainly facilitates the identification of the anatomic region corresponding to the ptertgopalatine fossa”
