Evaluating Hospital Stay Length and Pain Medicine Needs After Adding a Nerve Block in Children Having Cleft Palate Surgery

What this Trial Is About

Cleft lip and palate CLP is a common birth condition that often requires multiple surgeries during childhood. These surgeries can cause significant pain afterward, traditionally managed with opioids like morphine, which may lead to side effects. Researchers are studying whether introducing a specific nerve block called the suprazygomatic maxillary nerve block SZMNB can reduce the need for opioid pain medicines and shorten hospital stays after cleft palate surgery. This study compares two groups of children aged 3 months to 15 years who had cleft palate surgery between 2017 and 2018. One group received standard pain medications including opioids, acetaminophen, and NSAIDs, while the other group also received the SZMNB nerve block as part of their care. This is a retrospective observational study using medical records from before and after the introduction of SZMNB to examine differences in pain management and recovery. Participants medical records are reviewed for age, sex, surgery details, pain treatments, pain scores, opioid use, side effects like nausea and sedation, and length of hospital stay. The main measure is how long children stayed in the hospital after surgery, with secondary measures including total opioid use, need for extra pain relief, opioid side effects, and pain scores assessed with validated scales. The study aims to improve understanding of pain control and recovery in children undergoing cleft palate repair.

Length of Hospital Stay and Postoperative Analgesic Requirements After Introduction of a Specific Maxillary Nerve Block in Children Undergoing Cleft Palate Surgery