Do Regional Nerve Blocks Before Bimaxillary Surgery Reduce Postoperative Pain?

Any elective surgery should be as atraumatic to the patient as possible to allow for a comfortable postoperative recovery. The present study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of preoperative regional blocks in reducing pain, discomfort, and analgesic use in patients scheduled to undergo bimaxillary surgery. A prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted to include all patients aged 16 to 30 years requiring bimaxillary surgery. We excluded patients with syndromes and systemic conditions. The primary predictor variable was the maxillary and mandibular nerve blocks (extraoral lateral pterygoid method) administered preoperatively in the operating room using 0.25% bupivacaine hydrochloride. Standard anesthetic and postoperative protocols were followed. The primary outcome variable was postoperative pain. The secondary outcome variables were postoperative discomfort, analgesic consumption, duration of surgery, and blood loss. The unpaired t test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for statistical analyses, with P