Conditions: Thyroidectomy
Keywords: Surgery Thyroid gland cervical block Pain, Postoperative
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 183
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The study investigates the impact on post-operative pain of the superficial cervical block with bupivacaine combined with subcutaneous infiltration of the incisional area in thyroid surgery under general anesthesia. In addition, cost savings using the cervical block are evaluated (due to reduced length of hospital stay).

The study is prospective, randomized, double blind, and placebo-controlled. The study is performed at the Department of Surgery, Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: bilateral superficial cervical block, placed before surgery (just before skin incision) arm 2: placebo bilateral superficial cervical block with saline, placed before surgery (just before skin incision) arm 3: bilateral superficial cervical block, placed after surgery (just after skin closure) arm 4: placebo bilateral superficial cervical block with saline, placed after surgery (just after skin closure)

Interventions: intervention 1: bilateral superficial cervical block intervention 2: placebo bilateral superficial cervical block
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: 10 ml of 5% bupivacaine (Carbostesin®) was used for each side. Along the cranial dorsal edge of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, three deposits of approximately 2.5 ml were injected to anaesthetize the cervical plexus with its nervus transversus colli. To anaesthetize the region of the planned skin incision, the remaining 2·5 ml was injected subcutaneously on each side. intervention 2: 10 ml of saline (the carrier of bupivacaine in the experimental treatment) was used for each side.

Along the cranial dorsal edge of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, three deposits of approximately 2.5 ml were injected to anaesthetize the cervical plexus with its nervus transversus colli. To anaesthetize the region of the planned skin incision, the remaining 2·5 ml was injected subcutaneously on each side.

Protocol document: