Does Regional Anesthesia Reduce Postoperative Opioid Consumption in Subjects Undergoing Fibula Free Flap Reconstruction of the Head and Neck: A Prospective Trial

Despite many recent advances in pain management, post-operative pain is widely considered to be poorly managed. Furthermore, the mainstay of current pain management is opioids, for which there is strong evidence of ill effects and long-term potential for addiction. There are many studies demonstrating that perineural regional anesthesia can be superior to intravenous opioid analgesia, and that the technique is safe. By using temporary implanted catheters, this method can now deliver prolonged analgesia, thus reducing the need for opioids in the postoperative period. Regional anesthesia is a proven technique and used daily by anesthesiologists, and it is also the first choice for hip and knee replacement surgery for orthopedic surgeons. Patients undergoing head and neck reconstruction with the use of free tissue transfer experience a significant amount of post-operative pain due to the complexity of the surgery, the presence of a head and neck surgical site as well as a secondary donor site, and existing co-morbidities, most commonly malignancy, that also cause significant pain. These patients often require opioids for pain control throughout the hospital stay, and are almost always discharged home with additional opioids. By utilizing regional anesthesia blocks at the donor sites, the investigators can potentially reduce post-operative pain while also reducing the use of opioids.