Does Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block Improve Pain Control and Intraoperative Hemodynamics in Children Undergoing Palatoplasty? A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: Children undergoing cleft palate repair have pain, dysphagia, and wound irritation in the immediate postoperative phase that may compromise surgical outcomes. This trial evaluates the efficacy of the sphenopalatine ganglion block (SPGB) in optimizing intraoperative hemodynamics and postoperative analgesia in children undergoing primary palatoplasty.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was designed as a prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial comparing the use of SPGB with general anesthesia (GA) (study group) versus the use of only GA (control group). Routine preoperative documentation included type of cleft, patient weight, hemoglobin (Hb%), packed cell volume (PCV), blood pressure, and echocardiogram. Intraoperative monitoring included heart rate, blood pressure, and surgical field assessment. Postoperatively, the pain score, pain-free duration, and need for rescue analgesics were recorded. Postsurgical changes in Hb% and PCV values were assessed. Data analysis of collected variables was performed using SPSS software (version 16; IBM, Armonk, NY). Quantitative data were assessed for normality using the Shapiro-Wilk test and analyzed using the independent-sample t test, and the Fisher exact test was used for comparison of the binary variable (gender). The outcome variables were compared between the study and control groups after adjustment for confounding variables. P < .05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: We randomized 100 patients undergoing primary palatoplasty under GA into the control group (n = 49) and study group (SPGB) (n = 51). Three patients were excluded from the control group because of changes in intraoperative anesthetic protocol. The results showed statistically significant differences in the postsurgical pain-free duration (19.46 minutes vs 87.59 minutes) and mean blood loss (105.5 mL vs 62 mL) in favor of the study group. Surgical field and postoperative reduction of Hb% and PCV were also significantly favorable for the study group.

CONCLUSIONS: SPGB is a potent pre-emptive technique offering excellent perioperative analgesia, hemodynamic stability, and a clear surgical field.