Do Regional Nerve Blocks Prior to Bimaxillary Surgery Reduce Post-Operative Pain?

By: Dr. Vikram Shetty, MBBS, DNB, MDS, BDS, Dr. Bylapudi Bhanuprakash, BDS, MDS, Dr. Anirudh Yadav, BDS, MDS, Dr. Nanda Kishore P, BDS, MDS, Dr. Akash Menon, BDS, MDS 

        Interesting read on the use of long lasting local anesthetics (​0.25% bupivacaine ) given as regional blocks prior to bimaxillary surgery (corrective jaw surgery or "orthognathic" surgery). While I have always used lidocaine with epinephrine for the same purpose (as well as its vasoconstrictive properties) - using a longer lasting agent can have marked effects on postoperative pain. We know from other studies that blocking pain signals to the central nervous system can not only decrease surgically induced stress and inflammation, but also decrease the occurrence of chronic pain disorders. 

Source: ​Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
https://www.joms.org/article/S0278-2391(19)31242-X/fulltext