Skip to main content

Ultrasound-Guided Thoracic Paravertebral Block

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Atlas of Ultrasound-Guided Procedures in Interventional Pain Management
  • 2659 Accesses

Abstract

Thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) is the technique of injecting local anesthetic alongside the thoracic vertebral body close to where the spinal nerves emerge from the intervertebral foramen. This produces unilateral (ipsilateral), segmental, somatic, and sympathetic nerve blockade in multiple contiguous thoracic dermatomes [1, 2], which is effective for managing acute and chronic pain of unilateral origin from the thorax and abdomen [3]. Recently, TPVB has also been used for surgical anesthesia in patients undergoing inguinal herniorrhaphy [4] and breast surgery [5, 6] with improved postoperative outcomes [3].

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Cheema SP, Ilsley D, Richardson J, Sabanathan S. A thermographic study of paravertebral analgesia. Anaesthesia. 1995;50:118–21.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Karmakar MK, Critchley LA, Ho AM, Gin T, Lee TW, Yim AP. Continuous thoracic paravertebral infusion of bupivacaine for pain management in patients with multiple fractured ribs. Chest. 2003;123:424–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Karmakar MK. Thoracic paravertebral block. Anesthesiology. 2001;95:771–80.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Wassef MR, Randazzo T, Ward W. The paravertebral nerve root block for inguinal herniorrhaphy – a comparison with the field block approach. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 1998;23:451–6.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Coveney E, Weltz CR, Greengrass R, et al. Use of paravertebral block anesthesia in the surgical management of breast cancer: experience in 156 cases. Ann Surg. 1998;227:496–501.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Klein SM, Bergh A, Steele SM, Georgiade GS, Greengrass RA. Thoracic paravertebral block for breast surgery. Anesth Analg. 2000;90:1402–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Karmakar MK, Chung DC. Variability of a thoracic paravertebral block. Are we ignoring the endothoracic fascia? Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2000;25(3):325–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Karmakar MK, Kwok WH, Kew J. Thoracic paravertebral block: radiological evidence of contralateral spread anterior to the vertebral bodies. Br J Anaesth. 2000;84(2):263–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Karmakar MK, Gin T, Ho AM. Ipsilateral thoraco-lumbar anaesthesia and paravertebral spread after low thoracic paravertebral injection. Br J Anaesth. 2001;87:312–6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Macintosh RR, Mushin WW. Observations on the epidural space. Anaesthesia. 1947;2:100–4.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Conacher ID, Kokri M. Postoperative paravertebral blocks for thoracic surgery. A radiological appraisal. Br J Anaesth. 1987;59:155–61.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Conacher ID. Resin injection of thoracic paravertebral spaces. Br J Anaesth. 1988;61:657–61.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Purcell-Jones G, Pither CE, Justins DM. Paravertebral somatic nerve block: a clinical, radiographic, and computed tomographic study in chronic pain patients. Anesth Analg. 1989;68:32–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Eason MJ, Wyatt R. Paravertebral thoracic block-a reappraisal. Anaesthesia. 1979;34:638–42.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Richardson J, Cheema SP, Hawkins J, Sabanathan S. Thoracic paravertebral space location. A new method using pressure measurement. Anaesthesia. 1996;51:137–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Richardson J, Lonnqvist PA. Thoracic paravertebral block. Br J Anaesth. 1998;81:230–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Luyet C, Eichenberger U, Greif R, Vogt A, Szucs FZ, Moriggl B. Ultrasound-guided paravertebral puncture and placement of catheters in human cadavers: an imaging study. Br J Anaesth. 2009;102:534–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Greengrass R, O’Brien F, Lyerly K, et al. Paravertebral block for breast cancer surgery. Can J Anaesth. 1996;43:858–61.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Kirvela O, Antila H. Thoracic paravertebral block in chronic postoperative pain. Reg Anesth. 1992;17:348–50.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Tenicela R, Pollan SB. Paravertebral-peridural block technique: a unilateral thoracic block. Clin J Pain. 1990;6:227–34.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lonnqvist PA, MacKenzie J, Soni AK, Conacher ID. Paravertebral blockade. Failure rate and complications. Anaesthesia. 1995;50:813–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Abrahams MS, Aziz MF, Fu RF, Horn JL. Ultrasound guidance compared with electrical neurostimulation for peripheral nerve block: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Br J Anaesth. 2009;102:408–17.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Chin KJ, Chan V. Ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blockade. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2008;21:624–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Marhofer P, Greher M, Kapral S. Ultrasound guidance in regional anaesthesia. Br J Anaesth. 2005;94:7–17.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Grau T, Leipold RW, Conradi R, Martin E, Motsch J. Ultrasound imaging facilitates localization of the epidural space during combined spinal and epidural anesthesia. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2001;26:64–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Grau T, Leipold RW, Fatehi S, Martin E, Motsch J. Real-time ultrasonic observation of combined spinal-epidural anaesthesia. Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2004;21:25–31.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Karmakar MK, Li X, Ho AM, Kwok WH, Chui PT. Real-time ultrasound-guided paramedian epidural access: evaluation of a novel in-plane technique. Br J Anaesth. 2009;102:845–54.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Ben-Ari A, Moreno M, Chelly JE, Bigeleisen PE. Ultrasound-guided paravertebral block using an intercostal approach. Anesth Analg. 2009;109:1691–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. O’Riain SC, Donnell BO, Cuffe T, Harmon DC, Fraher JP, Shorten G. Thoracic paravertebral block using real-time ultrasound guidance. Anesth Analg. 2010;110:248–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Shibata Y, Nishiwaki K. Ultrasound-guided intercostal approach to thoracic paravertebral block. Anesth Analg. 2009;109:996–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Hara K, Sakura S, Nomura T, Saito Y. Ultrasound guided thoracic paravertebral block in breast surgery. Anaesthesia. 2009;64:223–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Pusch F, Wildling E, Klimscha W, Weinstabl C. Sonographic measurement of needle insertion depth in paravertebral blocks in women. Br J Anaesth. 2000;85(6):841–3.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Naja MZ, Gustafsson AC, Ziade MF, et al. Distance between the skin and the thoracic paravertebral space. Anaesthesia. 2005;60:680–4.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Lichtenstein DA, Menu Y. A bedside ultrasound sign ruling out pneumothorax in the critically ill. Lung sliding. Chest. 1995;108:1345–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

All figures in this article have been reproduced with permission from http://www.aic.cuhk.edu.hk/usgraweb.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manoj Kumar Karmakar .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Karmakar, M.K. (2018). Ultrasound-Guided Thoracic Paravertebral Block. In: Narouze, S. (eds) Atlas of Ultrasound-Guided Procedures in Interventional Pain Management. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7754-3_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7754-3_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-7752-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-7754-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics