Abstract
Across the USA and various parts of the world, ambulatory surgery centers have transitioned to accepting patients with advanced ASA statuses, leading to a larger volume and higher complexity of surgeries performed, while still urging for same-day patient discharges. Inadequate postoperative pain management and opioid analgesia side effects, such as sedation, respiratory depression, and postoperative nausea and vomiting, are the most common complications and most common reasons for readmission after ambulatory surgery. The trend to limiting these complications and achieve a more rapid patient discharge currently emphasizes a multifactorial, balanced analgesia strategy. This article reviews the multimodal approach by detailing the important aspects of specific regional nerve blocks, nerve blockade with catheter techniques, acetaminophen, non-selective NSAIDs, Cox-2 inhibitors, membrane stabilizers, and corticosteroids. Pain management in the ambulatory surgery patient will thus be optimized with a thorough preoperative evaluation, recognizing intraoperative events, and implementing multiple analgesic modalities.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance
Apfelbaum JL, Chen C, Mehta SS, Gan TJ. Postoperative pain experience: results from a national survey suggest postoperative pain continues to be undermanaged. Anesth Analg. 2003;97:534–40.
Kavanagh THP, Minogue S. Daycase laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a prospective study of post-discharge pain, analgesic and antiemetic requirements. Ir J Med Sci. 2008;177(2):111–5.
Lovatsis D, Jose JB, Tufman A, Drutz HP, Murphy K. Assessment of patient satisfaction with postoperative pain management after ambulatory gynaecologic laparoscopy. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2007;29(8):664–7.
Strassels SA, Chen C, Carr DB. Postoperative analgesia: economics, resource use, and patient satisfaction in an urban teaching hospital. Anesth Analg. 2002;94(1):130–7.
Kehlet H, Jensen TS, Woolf CJ. Persistent postsurgical pain: risk factors and prevention. Lancet. 2006;367(9522):1618–25.
Klein SM, Evans H, Nielsen KC, Tucker MS, Warner DS, Steele SM. Peripheral nerve block techniques for ambulatory surgery. Anesth Analg. 2005;101(6):1663–76.
Hadzic A, Williams BA, Karaca PE, et al. For outpatient rotator cuff surgery, nerve block anesthesia provides superior same-day recovery over general anesthesia. Anesthesiology. 2005;02:1001–7.
Al-Kaisy A, McGuire G, Chan VW, et al. Analgesic effect of interscalene block using low-dose bupivacaine for outpatient arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 1998;23:469–73.
Wilson AT, Nicholson E, Burton L, Wild C. Analgesia for day-case shoulder surgery. Br J Anaesth. 2004;92:414–5.
Wurm WH, Concepcion M, Sternlicht A, Carabuena JM, Robelen G, Goudas LC, et al. Preoperative interscalene block for elective shoulder surgery: loss of benefit over early postoperative block after patient discharge to home. Anesth Analg. 2003;97:1620–6.
Franco CD, Vieira ZE. 1,001 subclavian perivascular brachial plexus blocks: success with a nerve stimulator. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2000;25:41–6.
Liu SS, Gordon MA, Shaw PM, Wilfred S, Shetty T, Yadeau JT. A prospective clinical registry of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia for ambulatory shoulder surgery. Anesth Analg. 2010;111(3):617–23.
Perlas A, Lobo G, Lo N, et al. Ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block: outcome of 510 consecutive cases. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2009;34(2):171–6.
Gauss A, Tugtekin I, Georgieff M, et al. Incidence of clinically symptomatic pneumothorax in ultrasound-guided infraclavicular and supraclavicular brachial plexus block. Anaesthesia. 2014;69(4):327–36. This review is important in that a study was performed evaluating the risk of pneumothorax with ultrasound guidance for infraclavicular and supraclavicular block, two blocks that were historically associated with a significant risk of pneumothorax. While not completely eliminating the risk of pneumothorax, nonetheless, risk is decreased with the use of ultrasound guidance.
Koscielniak-Nielsen ZJ, Rasmussen H, Hesselbjerg L, Nielsen TP, Gurkan Y. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2005;49(7):1030–4.
McCartney CJ, Brull R, Chan VW, et al. Early but no long-term benefit of regional compared with general anesthesia for ambulatory hand surgery. Anesthesiology. 2004;101:461–7.
17 Lam NCK, Charles M, Mercer D, Soneru C, Dillow J, Jaime F, Petersen TR, Mariano ER. A triple-masked, randomized controlled trial comparing ultrasound-guided brachial plexus and distal peripheral nerve block anesthesia for outpatient hand surgery. Anesthesiology Research and Practice. Vol 214(2014) Article ID 324083.
Akcaboy EY, Akcaboy ZN, Gogus N. Ambulatory inguinal herniorrhaphy: paravertebral block versus spinal anesthesia. Minerva Anestesiol. 2009;75(12):684–91.
Salinas FV, Joseph RS. Peripheral nerve blocks for ambulatory surgery. Anesthesiol Clin. 2014;32(2):341–55. This review presents nerve blocks that are used in ambulatory surgery that will allow anesthesiologists to anesthetize patients with advanced ASA classification with the power of regional anesthesia for ambulatory surgery.
Hadzic A, Karaca PE, Hobeika P, et al. Peripheral nerve blocks result in superior recovery profile compared with general anesthesia in outpatient knee arthroscopy. Anesth Analg. 2005;100:976–81.
Karmakar MK, Li JW, Kwok WH, Hadzic A. Ultrasound-guided lumbar plexus block using a transverse scan through the lumbar intertransverse space: a prospective case series. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2015;40(1):75–81.
Vizcaino-Martinez L, Gomez-Rio MA, Lopez-Calvino B. General anesthesia plus ilioinguinal nerve block versus spinal anesthesia for ambulatory inguinal herniorrhaphy. Saudi J Anaesth. 2014;8(4):523–8.
Disma N, Tuo P, Pellegrino S, Astuto M. Three concentrations of levobupivacaine for ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve block in ambulatory pediatric surgery. J Clin Anesth. 2009;21(6):389–93.
Al-Zaben KR, Qudaisat IY, Abu-Halaweh SA, et al. Comparison of ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve blocks and intravenous morphine for control of post-orchidopexy pain in pediatric ambulatory surgery. Middle East J Anaesthesiol. 2014;22(4):393–8.
Heil JW, Ilfeld BM, Loland VJ, et al. Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane catheters and ambulatory perineural infusions for outpatient inguinal hernia repair. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2010;5(6):556–8.
Calle GA, Lopez CC, Sanchez E, et al. Transversus abdominis plane block after ambulatory total laparoscopic hysterectomy: randomized controlled trial. Acta Obstet Gyencol Scand. 2014;93(4):345–50.
De Oliveira GS, Castro-Alves Jr LJ, Nader A, Kendall MC, McCarthy RJ. Transversus abdominis plane block to ameliorate postoperative pain outcomes after laparoscopic surgery: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Anesth Analg. 2014;118:454–63. This meta-analysis presents multi-center data evaluating the efficacy of the TAP block in laparoscopic surgery and shows the benefit of this technique for outpatient surgery.
28 Yamamoto H, Shido A, Sakura S, Saito Y. Monitored anesthesia care based on ultrasound-guided subcostal transversus abdominis plane block for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis catheter surgery: case series. Journal of Anesthesia. Sept 2015. P1-5.
Danninger T, Opperer M, Memtsoudis S. Perioperative pain control after total knee arthroplasty: an evidence based review of the role of peripheral nerve blocks. World J Orthop. 2014;5(3):225–32. This review presents important information on the benefits of peripheral nerve blocks in outpatient orthopedic surgery, adoption of which will enhance patient recovery and outpatient patient flow.
Iskander H, Benard A, Ruel-Raymond J, Cochard G, Manaud B. Femoral block provides superior analgesia compared with intra-articular ropivacaine after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2003;28:29–32.
Jin S, Ding X, Tong Y, Hao R, Chen Z, Wang X, et al. Effect of saphenous nerve block for postoperative pain on knee surgery: a meta-analysis. Int J Clin Exp Med. 2015;8(1):368–76.
Enneking FK, Ilfeld BM. Major surgery in the ambulatory environment: continuous catheters and home infusions. Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol. 2002;16:285–94.
O’Donnell BD, Iohom G. Regional anesthesia techniques for ambulatory orthopedic surgery. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2008;21(6):723–8.
Schnabel A, Meyer-Frießem CH, Zahn PK, Pogatzki-Zahn EM. Ultrasound compared with nerve stimulation guidance for peripheral nerve catheter placement: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Br J Anaesth. 2013;111:564–72. This meta-analysis paper presents the benefits of ultrasound guided nerve stimulation with catheter in a survey of multi-central trials highlighting the power of this technique.
Ilfeld BM. Continuous peripheral nerve blocks: a review of published evidence. Anesth Analg. 2011;113(4):904–25.
Jokinen MJ. The pharmacokinetics of ropivacaine in hepatic and renal insufficiency. Best Pract Res Clin Anesthesiol. 2005;19:309–21.
Klein SM, Grant SA, Greengrass RA, et al. Interscalene brachial plexus block with a continuous catheter insertion system and a disposable infusion pump. Anesth Analg. 2000;91:1473–8.
Ifeld BM, Morey TE, Wright TW, et al. Continuous interscalene brachial plexus block for postoperative pain control at home: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Anesth Analg. 2003;96:1089–95.
Nielsen KC, Greengrass RA, Pietrobon R, et al. Continuous interscalene brachial plexus blockade provides good analgesia at home after major shoulder surgery-report of four cases. Can J Anaesth. 2003;50:57–61.
Gharabawy R, Abd-Elsayed A, Elsharkawy H, Farag E, Cummings K, Eid G, Mendoza M, Mounir Soliman L, Rosenquist R, Esa WAS. The Cleveland Clinic Experience with supraclavicular and popliteal ambulatory nerve catheters. The Scientific World Journal. Vol 2014, Article id 572507.
Ilfeld BM, Morey TE, Enneking FK. Continuous infraclavicular brachial plexus block for postoperative pain control at home: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Anesthesiology. 2002;96:1297–304.
Wang RD, Dangler LA, Radson E, Howe BL. Greengrass RA. Ambul Surg. 2007;13(2):41–9.
Wu CL, Berenholtz SM, Pronovost PJ, Fleisher LA. Systematic review and analysis of postdischarge symptoms after outpatient surgery. Anesthesiology. 2002;96(4):994–1003.
American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Acute Pain Management. Practice guidelines for acute pain management in the perioperative setting: an updated report by the American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Acute Pain Management. Anesthesiology. 2012;116(2):248–73.
Holmér Pettersson P, Owall A, Jakobsson J. Early bioavailability of paracetamol after oral or intravenous administration. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2004;48:867–70.
Brett CN, Barnett SG, Pearson J. Postoperative plasma paracetamol levels following oral or intravenous paracetamol administration: a double-blind randomised controlled trial. Anaesth Intensive Care. 2012;40:166–71.
47 Konstantatos A, Smith J, Angliss M. A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study of intravenous acetaminophen in ambulatory surgery. J Pain Relief 1:104.
McNicol ED, Tzortzopoulou A, Cepeda MS, Francia MB, Farhat T, Schumann R. Single-dose intravenous paracetamol or propacetamol for prevention or treatment of postoperative pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Anaesth. 2011;106:764–75.
Apfel, C.C.; Souza, K.; Portillo, J.; Dalal, P.; Bergese, S.D. Patient satisfaction with intravenous acetaminophen: a pooled analysis of five randomized, placebo-controlled studies in the acute postoperative setting. J. Healthc Qual. 2014. This pooled analysis paper shows the benefit of intravenous acetaminophen in acute pain. While centers must weight cost issues for this agent, the benefits of this agent may make this analgesic more readily utilized due to improved pain scores.
Iorno V, Landi L, Di Pasquale R, et al. Comparison of intravenous ketorolac with or without paracetamol in postoperative pain control following ambulatory surgery. Curr Med Res Opin. 2013;29(12):1685–90.
Moore RA, Derry S, McQuay HJ, Wiffen PJ. Single dose oral analgesics for acute postoperative pain in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011;9:CD008659.
Schug SA, Joshi GP, Camu F, Pan S, Cheung R. Cardiovascular safety of the cyclooxygenase-2-selective inhibitors parecoxib and valdecoxib in the postoperative setting: an analysis of integrated data. Anesth Analg. 2009;108(1):299–307.
Schug SA, Manopas A. Update on the role of non-opioids for postoperative pain treatment. Best Pract Clin Anaesthesiol. 2007;21(1):15–30.
Tiipana EM, Hamunen K, Kontinen VK, Kalso E. Do surgical patients benefit from perioperative gabapentin/Pregabalin? A systematic review of efficacy and safety. Anesth Analg. 2007;104(6):1545–6.
Balaban F, Yağar S, Özgök A, Koç M, Güllapoğlu H. A randomized, placebo-controlled study of pregabalin for postoperative pain intensity after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. J Clin Anesth. 2012;24:175–8.
Sen H, Sizlan A, Yanarateş O, Senol MG, Inangil G, Sücüllü I, et al. The effects of gabapentin on acute and chronic pain after inguinal herniorrhaphy. Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2009;26:772–6.
Dauri M, Faria S, Gatti A, Celidonio L, Carpenedo R, Sabato AF. Gabapentin and pregabalin for the acute post-operative pain management. A systematic-narrative review of the recent clinical evidences. Curr Drug Targets. 2009;10:716–33.
Waldron NH, Jones CA, Gan TJ, Allen TK, Habib AS. Impact of perioperative dexamethasone on postoperative analgesia and side-effects: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Anaesth. 2013;110(2):191–200.
Choi S, Rodseth R, McCartney CJ. Effects of dexamethasone as a local anaesthetic adjuvant for brachial plexus block: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials. Br J Anaesth. 2014;112:427–39.
Waldron NH, Jones CA, Gan TJ, Allen TK, Habib AS. Impact of perioperative dexamethasone on postoperative analgesia and side-effects: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Anaesth. 2013;110:191–200.
Fang, Q.; Qian, X.; An, J.; Wen, H.; Cope, D.K.; Williams, J.P. Higher dose dexamethasone increases early postoperative cognitive dysfunction. J. Neurosurg. Anesthesiol. 2014.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
Maunak V. Rana, Ravi Desai, Lien Tran, and D’Andra Davis declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent
This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.
Additional information
This article is part of the Topical Collection on Other Pain
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rana, M.V., Desai, R., Tran, L. et al. Perioperative Pain Control in the Ambulatory Setting. Curr Pain Headache Rep 20, 18 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-016-0550-3
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-016-0550-3