USG PECS vs LIA for breast cancer surgery

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Ultrasound guided PECS blocks versus local infiltration anaesthesia for breast cancer surgery- A randomised double blinded efficacy and safety study

  • IRAS ID

    193503

  • Contact name

    Shiva Kumar Arava

  • Contact email

    aravashiva@gmail.com

  • Sponsor organisation

    Southern HSC Trust

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 7 months, 23 days

  • Research summary

    Breast cancer is the most common cancer for which women in the UK undergo surgery. Pain relief for breast surgery may be either morphine based or regional or local anaesthetic technique based. Both have specific advantages and disadvantages. Regional/ Local anaesthetic techniques offer excellent pain relief without the disadvantages of morphine. A novel ultrasound guided regional anaesthetic technique called the 'Pecs 2' block has recently been described. This study compares ultrasound guided Pecs 2 block with local anaesthetic infiltration for pain relief following breast cancer surgery.

    Why?
    Currrently, there are no RCTs comparing ultrasound guided Pecs 2 blocks with local infiltration anaesthesia for breast surgery. This study will enable us to identify if either technique provides superior pain relief following breast surgery. In case Pecs blocks are better, these blocks could potentially ensure better pain relief, earlier hospital discharge and reduced hospital costs.

    What?
    This study is comparing the safety and efficacy of USG pecs 2 blocks with local infiltration anaesthesia as a pain relief technique for breast cancer surgery. The active drug used will be 0.25 % levobupivacaine.

    Who?
    All adult female patients admitted to Craigavon Area Hospital scheduled to undergo wide local excisions of breast with sentinel lymph node biopsy and or mastectomy (breast excision) with axillary lymph node dissection who consent for this study shall be included.

    Where?
    The study shall be conducted at Craigavon Area Hospital, SHSCT.
    How?
    We plan to recruit 110 patients in the study. We expect to complete the study within 1 year of recruiting the first patient.
    All patients included in the study will be randomly allocated into two groups X and Y with Group X receiving USG pecs with active drug and Group Y receiving wound infiltration with active drug. We will compare pain scores and morphine requirements in the postoperative period apart from other outcomes.

  • REC name

    HSC REC B

  • REC reference

    16/NI/0205

  • Date of REC Opinion

    24 Oct 2016

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion