Intraoperative superior hypogastric plexus block for pain relief after a cesarean section: a case-control study

AIM: To investigate the efficacy of intraoperative superior hypogastric plexus (SHP) block for postoperative pain relief in patients undergoing a cesarean section. METHODS: One hundred and fifteen pregnant women scheduled for an elective cesarean under general anesthesia were randomly divided into an SHP block (n = 65) and a control group (n = 50). SHP block was administered with bupivacaine injection. The controls received saline injection in the SHP area. Postoperative pain was assessed by the 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS). The presence of side effects and complications, including opioid or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) requirement, gastrointestinal function, nausea, and vomiting were evaluated. RESULTS: The SHP block group had significantly lower VAS scores 2, 6, 24, and 48 hours postoperatively (P < 0.001) and required a significantly lower rescue dose of NSAID or opioids (P = 0.003, P < 0.05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: SHP block may be an effective and safe pain relief treatment after a cesarean section.