- The pectoral branch of the thoraco-acromial artery can be encountered during a pectoral nerve block, or pecs block [not thoracic paravertebral nerve block (PVBs)]:
- As it is consistently located adjacent to the lateral pectoral nerve
- The pecs block is a field block:
- In which local anesthetic is injected in the interfacial plane between the pectoralis major and minor muscles.
- In addition to the pecs II block:
- A modification blocking the long thoracic and thoracodorsal nerves:
- The pecs block is an alternative to the thoracic paravertebral block in a multimodal pain management technique:
- Intrathecal spread, intra-pleural injection and pneumothorax, bradycardia, and hypotension resulting from a sympathectomy in the neuraxis:
- Are all known complications of thoracic paravertebral blocks
- Intrathecal spread, intra-pleural injection and pneumothorax, bradycardia, and hypotension resulting from a sympathectomy in the neuraxis:
- The pecs block is an alternative to the thoracic paravertebral block in a multimodal pain management technique:
- A modification blocking the long thoracic and thoracodorsal nerves:
- References:
- Blanco R. The ‘pecs block’: a novel technique for providing analgesia after breast surgery. Anesthesia 2011; 66:847–8.
- S. Kulhari, et al. Efficacy of pectoral nerve block versus thoracic paravertebral block for postoperative analgesia after radical mastectomy: a randomized controlled trial. BrJ Anaesth. 2016;117(3):382–386.
#Arrangoiz #BreastSurgeon #CancerSurgeon #SurgicalOncologist #BreastCancer #PainManagement #Mastectomy #PectoralNerveBlock #Miami #Mexico #MountSinaiMedicalCenter
Rodrigo Arrangoiz MS, MD, FACS, FSSO 