Ultrasound-guided bilateral superficial cervical plexus blocks enhance the quality of recovery in patients undergoing thyroid cancer surgery: A randomized controlled trial

Regional anesthesia can improve postoperative analgesia and enhance the quality of recovery (QoR) after surgery. This trial evaluates the effects of ultrasound-guided bilateral superficial cervical plexus block (SCPB) on QoR in patients undergoing thyroid cancer surgery. Prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Operating room. Seventy-four ASA I–II female patients scheduled for thyroid cancer surgery were included to the study. Patients were randomly allocated to receive pre-operative ultrasound-guided bilateral SCPB with 10 ml of ropivacaine 0.5% or normal saline on each side. The primary endpoint was the quality of recovery, which was assessed using the 15-item quality of recovery questionnaire (QoR-15). Secondary endpoints were acute postoperative pain, time to first rescue analgesia, the number of patients requiring rescue analgesia, length of post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) stay, the incidence of postoperative nausea or vomiting (PONV) and dizziness, and patient satisfaction. The global QoR-15 score at 24 h postoperatively was significantly higher in the SCPB group (Median [IQR], 118 [115–120]) than the control group (110 [106–112]) with a median difference of 8 (95% CI: 6 to 10, P