Preventive Effects of Pudendal Nerve Block on Postoperative Pain in Anterior and Posterior Vaginal Repair

Anterior and posterior vaginal repair are common surgeries for women with prolapse of pelvic organs. Tissue damage during these surgeries causes postoperative pain. Since pain management after surgery is of high importance, we evaluated the preventive effects of pudendal nerve block on postoperative pain in anterior and posterior vaginal wall repair. In a double-blind clinical trial study, 58 female candidates of anterior and posterior vaginal repair were randomly assigned to two groups. Using a nerve stimulator, pudendal nerve tracks of the intervention group were injected with 0.3 cc/kg bupivacaine 0.25%. Similar injections with normal saline were performed for the control group. A visual analogue scale was used to measure pain during the first 48 hours after the surgery. Data was analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Compared to the intervention group, the control group experienced greater pain during rest and walking. There were significant differences between the two groups from the first postoperative hour (P = 0.003) until 48 hours after the operation (P = 0.021). However, the mean ± SD values of pain in sitting position was not significantly different the two groups (P = 0.340). Pudendal nerve block can reduce postoperative pain scores in anterior and posterior vaginal wall repair.