Safety of Ultrasound-Guided Trigeminal Nerve Block in Maxillofacial Surgery under General Anesthesia

Abstract

Background: Peripheral nerve blocks are being utilized more often, either as a part of multimodal analgesia or even as a substitute for drugs that treat systemic pain. Primary headache problems and secondary headaches have both been successfully treated with peripheral nerve blocks. Objectives: This study aimed to assess safety of ultrasound-guided trigeminal nerve block (USGTNB) in individuals who are receiving general anesthesia and are undergoing unilateral maxillofacial surgery. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 25 adult patients aged more than 18 years, who had American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I or II and were scheduled for elective unilateral maxillofacial surgery under general anesthesia. Patients received USGTNB using 5 ml of bupivacaine 0.25%. The intraoperative hemodynamic parameters were assessed. Results: More than half of patients were males (64%) with a mean age of 37.28 ± 11.54 years old. Patients had mean duration of surgery of 2.96 ± 0.69 hours, most of them had ASA grade I. Patients had significantly lower HR compared to their baseline values. Patients had significantly lower MAP relative to their initial levels. The total fentanyl consumption was 0.36 ± 0.55 µ/kg. Regarding complications, 12% of patients had headache, 8% had paraesthesia and 4% had nausea\vomiting. Conclusion: ultrasound-guided nerve block is a safe and reliable method for controlling pain in adult patients undergoing maxillofacial surgery with fewer side effects.