Effectiveness of Ultrasound-Guided Regional Blocks in Reducing Postoperative Pain

Open Access

Abstract

Background: Inadequate control of acute postoperative pain leads to increased patient morbidity, delayed recovery, and greater opioid dependence, making effective pain management a critical component of modern surgical care. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided regional blocks in reducing postoperative pain and improving analgesic outcomes in adult surgical patients. Methods & Materials: This prospective comparative study was conducted at the Department of Anaesthesia, Analgesia, Palliative & Intensive Care Medicine, National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from July to December 2025. Sixty-four adult surgical patients were equally assigned to ultrasound-guided regional block (n = 32) and control (n = 32) groups. The intervention group received ultrasound-guided blocks, while the control group received standard analgesia. Outcomes included VAS scores, analgesic use, recovery parameters, and complications, analyzed using SPSS version 26.0 with p < 0.05 considered significant. Results: A total of 64 patients (32 per group) had comparable baseline characteristics. The USG block group showed significantly lower VAS scores at all time points (2.1–3.8 vs 4.6–5.6), longer time to first analgesic (8.6 vs 3.2 h), reduced opioid use (48.5 vs 82.7 mg), fewer rescue analgesia requirements (28.1% vs 68.8%), and earlier mobilization (14.2 vs 18.6 h; p < 0.001). Postoperative complications were also lower, including nausea/vomiting (15.6% vs 43.8%) and sedation (9.4% vs 34.4%), with minimal block-related events (3.1% vs 0%). Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided regional blocks effectively improve postoperative analgesia, reduce opioid consumption and complications, and enhance overall recovery.