Comparison of postoperative pain in patients receiving interscalene block or general anesthesia for shoulder surgery.

A retrospective review of 114 patients who underwent elective shoulder surgery from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 1996 was performed. Eighty-eight patients received general anesthesia and 26 patients received regional anesthesia (interscalene block). There were no differences in surgical and anesthesia time and time to hospital discharge between groups. Patients who received regional anesthesia had a shorter recovery room stay (63 +/- 25 minutes versus 85 +/- 33 minutes [P.002]) and required less intraoperative fentanyl (174 +/- 96 microg versus 379 +/- 193 microg [P<.0001) and morphine in the recovery room (2 +/- 3 mg versus 6 +/- 7 mg [P=.006]). A higher percentage of patients who received regional anesthesia had a lower pain rating at 4 hours. Regional anesthesia for shoulder surgery decreases pain and facilitates recovery in the immediate postoperative period.