Role of Pectoral Block in Postoperative Analgesia after Modified Radical Mastectomy

Purpose: The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the Pectoral (Pecs) nerve block as an adjunct to general anaesthesia in improving postoperative analgesia following modified radical mastectomy (MRM). Methodology: A hospital-based observational study was conducted over 12 months at the Department of Anaesthesiology, Government Medical College, Kottayam. Sixty ASA I and II female patients aged 30–70 years undergoing elective MRM were randomly allocated into two equal groups: Group A received general anaesthesia with a Pecs block, while Group B received general anaesthesia alone. Postoperative pain was assessed using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at specified intervals. Hemodynamic parameters, analgesic consumption, and incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) were also recorded. Results: The Pecs block group showed a significantly longer duration of analgesia (5.30 ± 2.17 hours vs. 0.20 ± 0.48 hours; p = 0.001). VAS scores were significantly lower in this group at all time points (p < 0.01). Hemodynamic stability was better maintained, with significantly lower heart rate and blood pressure values at multiple intervals (p < 0.05). The Pecs group also required fewer rescue analgesic doses (16.43 vs. 44.57; p = 0.01) and had reduced PONV scores (p = 0.01). Conclusion: The Pecs block is an effective adjunct to general anaesthesia for MRM, significantly enhancing postoperative pain relief, minimizing analgesic requirements, improving hemodynamic stability, and reducing PONV.