Postoperative Analgesic Requirements in Children Undergoing Palatoplasty Using Nerve Block, Comparative Study

Background: Cleft Palate (CP) repair is associated with intense pain, which is difficult to assess and treat; different types of nerve blocks were described to control such pain. Patients and Methods: 40 pediatric patients were divided into 2 groups: 20 patients received bilateral Greater Palatine Nerve block (GPN group) and 20 patients received bilateral Suprazygomatic Nerve block (SMN group). All regional block were received after general anesthesia. Intraoperative hemodynamics, number of fentanyl doses and complications were recorded. Postoperative analgesia (objective pain score), complications and parent satisfaction were also recorded. Results: There were no significant differences between both groups in demographic data, hemodynamic parameters, intraoperative complications, postoperative complications and parent satisfaction. Intraoperative and postoperative analgesia were significantly less in GPN group than SMN group. Objective pain score was lower in GPN than SMN postoperative. Conclusion: Bilateral GPN block in children undergoing palatoplasty was accompanied by superior levels of postoperative analgesia as compared to the use of bilateral SMN block in the same population.