Regional Anesthesia Clinical Research

 

The Division of Regional Anesthesia is dedicated to designing and implementing extramurally-funded clinical research involving both human subjects as well as laboratory-based projects.  Current extramural funding exceeds $1.3-million, and we currently have 8 active protocols, with three more in the development phase.  The Division currently has 1 case report, 4 randomized, controlled trials, 1 review article, and 1 editorial in press, with 3 additional manuscripts submitted for publication, and 2 manuscripts being prepared for submission.  Current topics of study:

  • Optimizing local anesthetic concentration for continuous lumbar plexus blocks
  • Continuous femoral nerve blocks following total knee arthroplasty and their effects on readiness-for-discharge and subsequent quality-of-life
  • Continuous psoas compartment blocks following total hip arthroplasty and their effects on subsequent quality-of-life
  • Optimizing perineural catheter placement with the use of ultrasound, nerve stimulation, and a combination of the two modalities
  • The effect of perineural catheter placement insertion technique (ultrasound vs. nerve stimulation) on postoperative analgesia

  
     
   
   
   
 

Recent Publications from UCSD Regional Anesthesia

 

  1. Ilfeld BM, Ball ST, Gearen PF, Mariano ER, Le LT, Vandenborne K, Duncan PW, Sessler DI, Enneking FK, Shuster JJ, Maldonado RC, Meyer RS.  Health-related quality of life after hip arthroplasty with and without an extended-duration continuous posterior lumbar plexus nerve block: a prospective, 1-year follow-up of a randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled study.  Anesth Analg. 2009 Aug;109(2):586-91.

  2. Mariano ER, Watson D, Loland VJ, Chu LF, Cheng GS, Mehta SH, Maldonado RC, Ilfeld BM.  Bilateral infraorbital nerve blocks decrease postoperative pain but do not reduce time to discharge following outpatient nasal surgery.  Can J Anaesth. 2009 May 28.

  3. Mariano ER, Chu LF, Peinado CR, Mazzei WJ.  Anesthesia-controlled time and turnover time for ambulatory upper extremity surgery performed with regional versus general anesthesia.  J Clin Anesth. 2009 Jun;21(4):253-7. Epub 2009 Jun 6.

  4. Mariano ER, Afra R, Loland VJ, Sandhu NS, Bellars RH, Bishop ML, Cheng GS, Choy LP, Maldonado RC, Ilfeld BM.  Continuous interscalene brachial plexus block via an ultrasound-guided posterior approach: a randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled study.  Anesth Analg. 2009 May;108(5):1688-94.

  5. Mariano ER, Chu LF, Peinado CR, Mazzei WJ.  Anesthesia-controlled time and turnover time for ambulatory upper extremity surgery performed with regional versus general anesthesia.  J Clin Anesth. 2009 Jun;21(4):253-7. Epub 2009 Jun 6.

  6. Mariano ER, Afra R, Loland VJ, Sandhu NS, Bellars RH, Bishop ML, Cheng GS, Choy LP, Maldonado RC, Ilfeld BM.  Continuous interscalene brachial plexus block via an ultrasound-guided posterior approach: a randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled study.  Anesth Analg. 2009 May;108(5):1688-94.

  7. Ilfeld BM, Meyer RS, Le LT, Mariano ER, Williams BA, Vandenborne K, Duncan PW, Sessler DI, Enneking FK, Shuster JJ, Maldonado RC, Gearen PF.  Health-related quality of life after tricompartment knee arthroplasty with and without an extended-duration continuous femoral nerve block: a prospective, 1-year follow-up of a randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled study.  Anesth Analg. 2009 Apr;108(4):1320-5.

  8. Neal JM, Gerancher JC, Hebl JR, Ilfeld BM, McCartney CJ, Franco CD, Hogan QH.  Upper extremity regional anesthesia: essentials of our current understanding, 2008.  Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2009 Mar-Apr;34(2):134-70.

  9. Ilfeld BM, Yaksh TL.  The end of postoperative pain--a fast-approaching possibility? And, if so, will we be ready?  Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2009 Mar-Apr;34(2):85-7.

  10. Mariano ER, Loland VJ, Ilfeld BM.  Interscalene perineural catheter placement using an ultrasound-guided posterior approach.  Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2009 Jan-Feb;34(1):60-3.

  11. Le LT, Loland VJ, Mariano ER, Gerancher JC, Wadhwa AN, Renehan EM, Sessler DI, Shuster JJ, Theriaque DW, Maldonado RC, Ilfeld BM.   Effects of local anesthetic concentration and dose on continuous interscalene nerve blocks: a dual-center, randomized, observer-masked, controlled study.  Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2008 Nov-Dec;33(6):518-25.

  12. Ilfeld BM, Le LT, Ramjohn J, Loland VJ, Wadhwa AN, Gerancher JC, Renehan EM, Sessler DI, Shuster JJ, Theriaque DW, Maldonado RC, Mariano ER.  The Effects of Local Anesthetic Concentration and Dose on Continuous Infraclavicular Nerve Blocks: A Multicenter, Randomized, Observer-Masked, Controlled Study.  Anesthesia & Analgesia 2009 Jan;108(1):345-350.

  13. Mariano ER.  Making it work: setting up a regional anesthesia program that provides value.  Anesthesiol Clin. 2008 Dec;26(4):681-92, vi.

  14. Shuster JJ, Theriaque DW, Ilfeld BM.  Applying Hodges-Lehmann scale parameter estimates to hospital discharge times.  Clin Trials. 2008;5(6):631-4.

  15. Le LT, Loland VJ, Mariano ER, Gerancher JC, Wadhwa AN, Renehan EM, Sessler DI, Shuster JJ, Theriaque DW, Maldonado RC, Ilfeld BM.   Effects of local anesthetic concentration and dose on continuous interscalene nerve blocks: a dual-center, randomized, observer-masked, controlled study.  Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2008 Nov-Dec;33(6):518-25.

  16. Ilfeld BM, Ball ST, Gearen PF, Le LT, Mariano ER, Vandenborne K, Duncan PW, Sessler DI, Enneking FK, Shuster JJ, Theriaque DW, Meyer RS.  Ambulatory continuous posterior lumbar plexus nerve blocks after hip arthroplasty: a dual-center, randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled trial.  Anesthesiology. 2008 Sep;109(3):491-501.

  17. Cheng GS, Choy LP, Ilfeld BM. Regional anesthesia at home.  Curr Opin Anaesthesiol 2008 Aug;21(4):488-93.

  18. Ilfeld BM, Wright TW, Sessler DI, Chmielewski TL.  Valid and relevant outcome measures are critical for objective hypothesis-testing.  Anesthesia & Analgesia 2008 Aug;107(2):722.

  19. Ilfeld BM, Loland VJ, Gerancher JC, Wadhwa AN, Renehan EM, Sessler DI, Shuster JJ, Theriaque DW, Maldonado RC, Mariano ER.  The effects of varying local anesthetic concentration and volume on continuous popliteal sciatic nerve blocks: a dual-center, randomized, controlled study.  Anesthesia & Analgesia 2008 Aug;107(2):701-707.

  20. Cheng GS, Choy LP, Ilfeld BM. Regional anesthesia at home.  Curr Opin Anaesthesiol 2008 Aug;21(4):488-93.

  21. Mariano ER, Cheng GS, Loland VJ, Chu LF. Comparison of supplementation rates for perivascular axillary and coracoid infraclavicular blocks in ambulatory upper extremity surgery. Ambulatory Surgery 2008 July;14(2):95-109.

  22. Sanchez HB, Mariano ER, Abrams R, Meunier M.  Pneumothorax following infraclavicular brachial plexus block for hand surgery.  Orthopedics. 2008 Jul;31(7):709.

  23. Mariano ER, Ilfeld BM, Cheng GS, Nicodemus HF, Suresh S. Feasibility of ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve block catheters for pain control on pediatric medical missions in developing countries.  Pediatric Anesthesia 2008 July;18(7):598-601.

  24. Ilfeld BM, Le LT, Meyer RS, Mariano ER, Vandenborne K, Duncan PW, Sessler DI, Enneking FK, Shuster JJ, Theriaque DW, Berry LF, Spadoni EH, Gearen PF.  Ambulatory continuous femoral nerve blocks decrease time to discharge readiness after tricompartment total knee arthroplasty: a randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled study.  Anesthesiology 2008;108(4):703-13.

  25. Ilfeld BM.  Continuous peripheral nerve blocks, in Neal JM, Rathmell JP (eds): Complications in Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. Philadelphia, Elsevier, 2007, pp. 193-202.

  26. McDonald SB, Ilfeld BM.  Injuries associated with nerve and plexus blocks, in Lobato EB, Gravenstein N, Kirby RR (eds): Complications in Anesthesia, ed 3. Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007, pp. 897-906.

  27. Ilfeld BM, Yaksh TL, Neal JM.  Mandating two-year regional anesthesia fellowships: fanning the academic flame or extinguishing it?  Regional Anesthesia Pain Medicine 2007;32(4):275-9.

  28. Mariano ER, Ilfeld BM, Neal JM. "Going fishing"--the practice of reporting secondary outcomes as separate studies.  Regional Anesthesia Pain Medicine 2007;32(3):183-5

  29. Ilfeld BM, Mariano ER, Neal JM. Conflicting results in clinical research: is the proof in the P value, the study design, or the pudding?  Regional Anesthesia Pain Medicine 2007;32(3):179-82.

  30. Jamieson BD, Mariano ER. Thoracic and lumbar paravertebral blocks for outpatient lithotripsy.  Journal of Clinical Anesthesia 2007;19(2):149-51.

  31. Ilfeld BM, Mariano ER, Williams BA, Woodard JN, Macario A.  Hospitalization costs of total knee arthroplasty with a continuous femoral nerve block provided only in the hospital versus on an ambulatory basis: a retrospective, case-control, cost-minimization analysis.  Regional Anesthesia Pain Medicine 2007;32(1):46-54.

  32. Sandhu NS, Manne JS, Medabalmi PK, Capan LM.  Sonographically guided infraclavicular brachial plexus block in adults: a retrospective analysis of 1146 cases.  Journal of Ultrasound Medicine 2006;25(12):1555-61.
 
   
   
     
 
  Send questions, comments and suggestions to: wricks@ucsd.edu