Postoperative pain relief in arthroscopic shoulder surgery with ultrasound guided interscalene block with ropivacaine and fentanyl combination using two techniques- A prospective randomized controlled trial

Regional anaesthesia has proven to be a highly effective technique for pain relief in patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty. Continuous Interscalene block for orthopaedic surgery may be used as either the primary anaesthetic  or as an adjunct to general anaesthesia. Shoulder surgeries are associated with substantial pain which may be exacerbated by shoulder movement on physiotherapy employed for postoperative rehabilitation and optimal surgical outcome. The benefit of effective continuous interscalene block include reductions in opoid requirements, reduced requirement for systemic analgesics, decrease postoperative nausea and vomiting, decreased time to functional recovery alongwith reduction in postoperative pain for prolonged period. So in this study we plan to compare the efficacy of ropivacaine (0.2%) and fentanyl (2 micrograms/ml) when used as perineural boluses of local anaesthetic delivered as on demand with continuous perineural infusion in interscalene block against only patient controlled boluses, along with intravenous dexamethasone (8 mg) as an adjunct in both groups after arthroscopic shoulder surgery.