Efficacy of low dose dexmedetomidine as a perineural adjunct to ropivacaine for single shot interscalene brachial plexus block in arthroscopic shoulder surgery - A prospective randomized controlled study.

Arthroscopic shoulder surgery is commonly associated with significant postoperative pain, which can affect early recovery and patient comfort. The interscalene brachial plexus block is considered the gold standard regional anesthesia technique for providing perioperative analgesia in shoulder surgeries. Ropivacaine is widely used for this block because of its long duration of action and favorable safety profile. However, the duration of analgesia with local anesthetics alone may be limited, leading to the need for additional postoperative analgesics. Dexmedetomidine, a highly selective alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist, has been increasingly used as an adjuvant to local anesthetics in peripheral nerve blocks. When administered perineurally, dexmedetomidine may prolong the duration of sensory and motor blockade, enhance the quality of analgesia, and reduce postoperative analgesic requirements. This prospective randomized controlled study aims to evaluate the efficacy of low-dose dexmedetomidine as a perineural adjunct to ropivacaine in single-shot interscalene brachial plexus block for patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery. The study will assess block characteristics, duration of postoperative analgesia, time to first rescue analgesic, total analgesic consumption, and incidence of adverse effects.