Donor site local anaesthetic infusion catheter as an opioid sparing agent in free flap reconstruction of the head and neck: a valuable adjunct to an enhanced recovery protocol

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents the results of a retrospective case-controlled cohort study to investigate the effectiveness of a donor site local anaesthetic infusion protocol in reducing opioid requirements, length of Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU) stay and the incidence of post-operative delirium. Adult free flap head and neck patients were identified from a prospective database. Eighty-six patients were included. There was a significant reduction in mean opioid requirement (p