Parasternal Block Added to Serratus Anterior Plane Block in Breast Reduction Surgery

The Effect of Adding a Parasternal Intercostal Plane Block to a Serratus Anterior Plane Block on Postoperative Opioid Consumption in Breast Reduction Surgery

This study aims to evaluate the effect of adding a Superficial Parasternal Intercostal Plane Block (PIPB) to the Serratus Anterior Plane Block (SAPB) on postoperative pain control in patients undergoing breast reduction surgery under general anesthesia. Effective postoperative analgesia is essential to reduce opioid consumption and improve recovery.

All patients will receive standard general anesthesia. Patients will be allocated into three groups: a control group receiving no regional block, a group receiving SAPB alone, and a group receiving SAPB combined with PIPB. The primary outcome of the study is total opioid consumption within the first 24 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes include postoperative pain scores, Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) scores, and intraoperative remifentanil consumption.

The study aims to determine whether SAPB reduces postoperative opioid requirements compared to no block, and whether adding PIPB provides additional analgesic benefit by blocking the anterior cutaneous branches of the intercostal nerves. The findings may contribute to improving multimodal analgesia strategies in breast surgery.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Female patients aged 18-65 years
• Scheduled for elective breast reduction surgery under general anesthesia
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-III
• Ability to understand the study and provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient refusal

  • Known allergy to local anesthetics
  • Coagulopathy or ongoing anticoagulant therapy
  • Infection at the block site
  • Chronic opioid use or opioid dependence
  • Severe hepatic or renal insufficiency
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding