Ischiorectal fossa block decreases posthemorrhoidectomy pain - Randomized, prospective, double-blind clinical trial

PURPOSE: Hemorrhoidectomy can be associated with severe pain in the immediate postoperative period. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a preemptive local anesthetic, ischiorectal fossa block, in the reduction of pain and analgesic requirements after hemorrhoidectomy. METHODS: ALL patients were suitable for an established day surgery hemorrhoidectomy protocol, immediately before surgery patients were randomly assigned either to receive (Group 1) or not receive (Group 2) the local anesthetic block. All other aspects of surgery and anesthesia were standardized. Nursing staff assessed pain at 30 minutes and 2, 4, and 24 hours postoperatively using a visual analog scale (1-10, where 1 represented no pain and 10 represented the worst pain imaginable). Analgesic requirements also were recorded at these times. Both the patients and the nursing staff were blinded to which local anesthetic protocol had been used. RESULTS: Twenty patients were enrolled in the trial. Ten patients were randomly assigned to Group 1 and ten to Group 2. Mean pain scores for Group 1 (anal block) at 0.5, 2, 4, and 24 hours were 1.5, 1.8, 2.1, and 2.5, respectively, compared with Group 2, with mean pain scores of 3.4, 3.4, 3.9, and 5.1. These differences were statistically significant. Patients in Group 1 used less analgesia in the first 24 hours postoperatively than those in Group 2. CONCLUSION: The use of a preemptive local anesthetic, ischiorectal fossa block, is associated with a significant decrease in pain and analgesia requirements after hemorrhoidectomy.