Effects of modified ultrasound-guided bilateral superficial cervical plexus block combined with general anesthesia on anesthetic recovery and opioid use in patients undergoing open thyroid surgery
Objective To investigate the effects of modified ultrasound-guided bilateral superficial cervical plexus block(MUBSCPB)combined with general anesthesia on pain,anesthetic recovery,and opioid use in patients undergoing open thy-roid surgery,providing clinical treatment reference.Methods The study included 100 patients who underwent open thyroid surgery at the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January to December 2023.Patients were allo-cated to a general anesthesia group(n=49)and a combination group(n=51)that received bilateral MUBSCPB combined with general anesthesia.Perioperative indicators,such as time of operation,anesthesia time,mean arterial pressure(MBP),and heart rate(HR)fluctuations,were compared.Pain levels were assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale(NRS)at various postoperative time points(awake,4 h after surgery,12 h post-surgery,and 24 h post-surgery).Anes-thetic recovery(eye-opening time,spontaneous breathing time,extubation time,time to consciously answering questions),intraoperative fentanyl,and postoperative morphine use were compared.Quality of recovery 24 hours post-surgery was eval-uated using the QoR-40 scale.Results No significant differences were observed between the groups in time of operation or anesthesia time(P>0.05).The combination group exhibited significantly lower MBP and HR fluctuations as compared with the general anesthesia group(P<0.05).NRS scores were significantly lower in the combination group at awake,4 hours,and 12 hours post-surgery(P<0.05),but not at 24 hours post-surgery(P>0.05).The combination group also re-quired significantly less fentanyl and morphine(P<0.05)and showed significantly quicker recovery times in eye-opening,spontaneous breathing,extubation,and answering questions consciously(P<0.05).Additionally,the combination group had significantly higher QoR-40 scores in physical comfort,emotional state,self-care abilities,psychological support,and pain scores(P<0.05).Conclusion The MUBSCPB combined with general anesthesia reduces hemodynamic fluctuations,alleviates postoperative pain,lowers intraoperative fentanyl and postoperative opioid use,and accelerates anesthetic recovery and postoperative rehabilitation in open thyroid surgery,making it clinically valuable.