Effective Pain Management of Interscalene Blocks During Shoulder Surgery

Shoulder replacement surgery is recognized as having the potential to cause a considerable amount of postoperative pain. Adequate management of pain after surgery is necessary not only to improve the patient's wellbeing but also to facilitate recovery. Several regional anesthesia techniques are available to combat postoperative pain in the shoulder replacement surgery patient, however, which method provides superior pain relief remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a continuous interscalene block versus a single shot interscalene block for postoperative pain relief in the shoulder replacement patient. Patients undergoing shoulder replacement surgery will experience more effective pain relief with a continuous interscalene block versus and single shot interscalene block.