Comparative evaluation of options for postoperative analgesia during surgical correction of congenital spine deformity in children

Background. In the planning of anesthesia and postoperative therapy for surgical correction of congenital spinal deformity, the volume, the spine that is operated, and the patients’ age are all factors to consider. In pediatric practice, the use of opioid analgesics for pain relief in the postoperative period after extensive and traumatic surgical interventions is generally accepted. There is very little information on the effectiveness and safety of prolonged epidural analgesia in young children in spinal surgery.

Aim. The aim of this study was to give a comparative assessment of the use of prolonged epidural blockade and constant drip of fentanyl as the main components of postoperative analgesia during surgical correction of congenital spine deformity caused by violation of the vertebra formation in children.

Materials and methods. The features of the postoperative period in 43 cases of correction of congenital spine curvature performed in the Turner Scientific Research Institute for Children’s Orthopedics from 2016 to 2018 were retrospectively evaluated. Patient age ranged from 2 to 11 years. The patients were divided into two groups: group P included 22 patients whose main component of postoperative anesthesia was prolonged epidural analgesia, and group F included 21 patients whose main component of postoperative anesthesia was fentanyl. Anamnestic data analysis and clinical, laboratory, instrumental, and statistical analyses were used as methods of assessment.

Results. The data showed that the number of patients with undesirable respiratory disorders recorded in the first day in the form of bradypnea and desaturation was higher in group F than in group P. The number of patients who experienced nausea and vomiting and those who received antiemetics on the first day after surgery were comparable in both groups. However, the number of patients with fixed nausea, vomiting, and receiving antiemetics became significantly higher in group F in the next 2 days. In addition, at all stages of the assessment, there was an increase in the recorded episodes of peristalsis inhibition in patients from group F. The number of patients, who required additional anesthesia within 3 days of observation was comparable in both groups.

Conclusion. Prolonged epidural analgesia and constant drip of fentanyl are equally effective for providing pain relief in the postoperative period, but prolonged epidural analgesia provides a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of the gastrointestinal tract dysfunction.