Evaluation of a Breast Biblock Analgesia for the Mastectomy With Radical Axillary Lymphadenectomy Surgery

Breast surgery is one of the most painful post-operative surgery. This surgery is well known to induce postoperative chronic pain. The paravertebral block, because of its efficacy and less invasive nature than epidural analgesia, is quickly becoming the reference technique for pain management of major breast surgery.

Peripheral regional anesthesia for the breast surgery appeared in the past few years. Among these techniques are the PEC block, Serratus block and more recently the pecto-intercostal fascial plane block (PIF block).

Currently in the investigators hospital in every day's practice, an association of the serratus block and the PIF block is made, which allows for a complete block of both the laterals branches of intercostal nerves (with the serratus block) and of anterior branches of intercostal nerves (with the PIF block). Therefore, this association of blocks may lead to a complete analgesia of the breast, while the serratus block alone only allows for analgesia of the lateral part of the breast.

This technique was previously described. The authors evoked the possibility of the association of serratus and PIF blocks and described this technique with a patient, but to the investigators knowledge no evaluation of the efficacy of this procedure was made.

The objective of the study is to analyze this technique through a collection form that evaluates the satisfaction and post-operative morphine consumption of women receiving this association of blocks before a general anesthesia for a unilateral mastectomy with homolateral total lymphadenectomy.

This is a purely observational study that assesses a current practice in this type of surgery.

Inclusion criteria

• total mastectomy surgery with a complete axillary lymph nodes removal

Exclusion criteria

• age under 18
• contraindication to the surgery
• refusal of the protocol by the patient