Application of continuous sciatic nerve block guided by ultrasound for postoperative analgesia after foot surgery

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided continuous sciatic blocks for postoperative analgesia after foot surgery.Methods Twenty patients undergoing selective orthopedic foot surgery under spinal anesthesia were randomly assigned to either a continuous sciatic block group(CSB) or patient-controlled intravenous analgesia group(PCIA) with 10 cases each.The visual analogue scale(VAS) pain scores at still and on movement,patient's satisfaction,adverse effects and opioid requirements were recorded during analgesia.Results VAS scores at still and on movement were lower in group CSB than those in group PCIA(P0.05 or P0.01).Postoperative opioid consumption over 48 h was lower in group CSB than that in group PCIA(P0.01).The patients in group CSB were more satisfied than those in group PCIA(P0.05).Conclusion Ultrasound-guided continuous sciatic blocks can relieve postoperative pain and decrease the need of opioids after foot surgery.