Trial reportBMC anesthesiology2025
Effects of rhomboid intercostal nerve, serratus anterior plane, and paravertebral block on the quality of recovery after breast cancer surgery: a randomized controlled clinical trial.
Trial report in BMC anesthesiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Evaluating a Novel Regional Technique: Serratus Posterior Superior Intercostal Plane Block Reduces Opioid Consumption and Pain Scores after Breast-conserving Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Turkish journal of anaesthesiology and reanimation · 2026Article
- Liposomal Bupivacaine for Serratus Anterior Plane Block in Modified Radical Mastectomy: Protocol for a Randomized, Double-Blind Trial Evaluating Pain-Related and Early Recovery Outcomes.Journal of pain research · 2026Article
- Efficacy of rhomboid intercostal block for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing breast surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Indian journal of anaesthesia · 2026Article
- Regional anesthesia in breast surgery: An Italian expert consensus - Part 2: Results from a network meta-analysis evaluating 103 randomized controlled trials on regional anesthesia techniques for mastectomy with or without axillary clearance.Saudi journal of anaesthesiaArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundNerve blocks are one of the most important methods of postoperative analgesia in breast cancer surgery. We used a randomized controlled clinical trial to compare the effects of rhomboid intercostal nerve block, serratus anterior plane block, and paravertebral block on the quality of recovery and postoperative analgesia in modified radical mastectomy.
methodsWe used a randomized controlled clinical trial to compare the effects of rhomboid intercostal nerve block, serratus anterior plane block, and paravertebral block on the postoperative quality of recovery and postoperative analgesia in modified radical mastectomy. A total of 132 breast cancer surgery patients were randomized 1:1:1 into three groups. 0.375% ropivacaine 20 ml for ultrasound-guided rhomboid intercostal nerve block group (n = 44), serratus anterior plane block group(n = 44), and paravertebral block group (n = 44). The primary outcome was the quality of the recovery-40 questionnaire (QoR-40 score).
resultsThe postoperative 24-hour QoR-40 scores of the rhomboid intercostal nerve block group (median: 186; interquartile range: 177, 190.5) and the paravertebral block group (median: 186.5; interquartile range: 176.25, 190.5) were not statistically significant. The serratus anterior plane block group (median: 168; interquartile range: 163.25, 172) had significantly lower QoR-40 scores than the paravertebral block group (median difference: -17, 95%CI: -20, -13; P < 0.001). Furthermore, the rhomboid intercostal nerve block group had significantly higher global QoR-40 scores than the serratus anterior plane block group (median difference: 17, 95%CI: 14, 20; P < 0.001). In addition, the intraoperative sufentanil consumption (P < 0.001), number of intraoperative sufentanil users (P < 0.001), and postintubation NRS scores (P = 0.01) of the rhomboid intercostal nerve block and paravertebral block group were significantly lower than those of the serratus plane block group, but there was no statistically significant difference between the rhomboid intercostal nerve block and paravertebral block group. There was no statistically significant difference between the three groups in postoperative numerical rating scale scores, postoperative tramadol consumption, adverse events, and average length of stay.
conclusionRhomboid intercostal nerve block and paravertebral block were able to provide similar analgesic effects and QoR-40 scores in breast cancer surgery. However, the blocking effect of the serratus anterior plane block was inferior to the rhomboid intercostal nerve block and paravertebral block. Rhomboid intercostal nerve block may be one of the best alternatives to paravertebral block as a fascial plane block. TRIAL REGISTRY: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2300079196. Registered on 27 December, 2023.
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