The effects of toracic paravertebral block on postoperative pain and analgesic sparing on patients who had undergone modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer

40 patients who had undergone modified radical mastectomy and axillary dissection for breast cancer were divided into two groups.In the control group 20 patients were given general anesthesia and 100mg tramadol with 20mg tenoxicam were admitted intraoperatively.In the paravertebral group toracal paravertebral block(PVB) was applied to the patients at the level of T4 with 150mg levobupivacaine.Postoperative VAS scores at 0,1,6,12 and24th hours were noted and tramadol was given postoperatively as needed.The amount of tramadol used was also noted for both groups.In the PVB group all time VAS scores were significantly lower.The amount of tramadol needed was also lower in the PVB group.Single dose toracal paravertebral block supplied effective analgesia for the 24 hour postoperative period and decreased the additional opioid usage for breast cancer operations.