Paravertebral Block (PVC) Versus Pectoral Nerve Block (PEC)

Overview

The purpose of this study is to compare two standard methods of pain control management used at Spectrum Health for patients undergoing breast surgery. The two methods being compared are the paravertebral block (PVB) and the pectoral nerve block (PEC). Postoperative pain control is essential following any major operative procedure. A variety of methods have been used to ensure adequate pain control, each with its own advantages and risks. Increasingly, attention has focused on regional methods of analgesia, which may allow for reduction in systemic narcotic use and their associated complications. Proposed benefits of regional analgesia and a resultant reduction in narcotic use include decreased risk of cancer progression, decreased length of stay, and decreased risk of ileus.

The purpose of this study is to compare the clinical profiles of two currently acceptable analgesia techniques. The most common regional block used to achieve postoperative analgesia following mastectomy is the paravertebral block, during which local anesthetic is injected into the paravertebral space which contains the thoracic spinal nerves, between the costotransverse ligament and the pleura. At our institution there has been recent interest in an alternative regional block. The pectoral nerve block is performed by injecting anesthetic between the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor (PECs I) or between the pectoralis minor and the serratus anterior (PEC II). The proposed advantage of the pectoral nerve block for regional anesthesia during breast surgery is equal analgesic efficacy with fewer potential complications.

Conditions