THE EFFECT OF GLOSSOPHARYNGEAL NERVE BLOCK ON PAIN AFTER ELECTIVE ADULT TONSILLECTOMY AND UVULOPALATOPLASTY

This controlled, randomised, double-blind study compared whether gloss opharyngeal nerve block and intravenous morphine administered peri-ope ratively, decreased pain following elective adult tonsillectomy and uv ulopalatoplasty more than morphine alone. Sixteen of 30 patients under going uvulopalatoplasty and 38 of 78 patients having tonsillectomy rec eived bilateral glossopharyngeal nerve blocks, using bupivacaine 0.5% and adrenaline 1:200 000, or no intervention. There were no difference s in postoperative analgesic consumption between the two groups. Visua l analogue pain scores measured during swallowing in the recovery roam and on the ward postoperatively were significantly less overall in uv ulopalatoplasty patients who had received a block (p = 0.004). This di fference was not found for tonsillectomy. We found no significant diff erences between groups, in pain scores recorded during the first 5 day s at home. We conclude that glossopharyngeal block does not improve an algesia following tonsillectomy although there is short-lived benefit following uvulopalatoplasty.