Comparison of Pain Relief After Single Shot Interscalene Block With Continuous Interscalene Block for Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Shoulder Surgery: A Randomized Study

After consent patients will be randomized to one of the two groups: Control Group or the Experimental Group. Patients will be blinded to the group assignment.

In the Control Group the patient will be given single shot interscalene block using ultrasound technique following established guidelines. The procedure will be done after starting intravenous access and placing standard anesthesia monitors (EKG, Blood Pressure Cuff and Pulse-Ox) on the patient. Following accepted aseptic guidelines the nerves will be visualized at the base of the neck using ultrasound machine. Once proper nerve roots or trunks visualized 3 mg/kg of 0.5 % bupivacaine will be injected in small blouses.

In the Experimental Group, after placement of monitors, the nerves will be visualized using ultrasound machine. There after a catheter will be placed. They subjects will be dosed using 0.5% bupivacaine 3 mg/kg for the surgery via the catheter.

The extent of block before the surgery will be evaluated at 30 minutes post injection. Surgery will be done with sedation. Conversion of anesthetic technique to general anesthesia will be considered failure of the technique to provide adequate surgical anesthesia.

At the end of the case the patient will be taken to recovery and will be evaluated for pain. If patient is having pain of 3 or more then they will be treated as follows.