Functional endoscopic sinus surgery under sphenopalatine block or general anaesthesia: effects on postoperative pain

Abstract

The aim of this study is to compare the postoperative pain scores and analgesic requirements in patients who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery after general anesthesia or sphenopalatin ganglion blockade performed by the great palatine (oral) route. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Adnan Menderes University Medical Faculty. Sphenopalatine ganglion blockade was applied with lidocaine in Group 1 and bupivacaine in Group 2. General anesthesia was administered in Group 3. Pain was evaluated with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) preoperatively and 2, 6, 24 hours after the surgery. Analgesic requirements were documented postoperatively for two days. VAS scores were significantly higher in Group 3 at the second hour. The patients’ analgesic requirements were almost two times higher in Group 3 than the regional groups. Regional anesthesia may be preferred to general anesthesia in functional endoscopic sinus surgery operations because patients experience less pain and require less analgesics postoperatively.