Administering caudal anesthesia at completion of clubfoot surgery does not affect postoperative use of narcotics.

In the pediatric population, control of postoperative pain is a challenging and important issue. We conducted this retrospective study to determine whether single-dose caudal anesthesia administered after club-foot surgery helps to decrease postoperative use of narcotics. Fifty-one patients given an injection of caudal anesthesia (bupivacaine) at completion of clubfoot surgery were compared with 41 patients who did not receive a caudal block. Postoperative pain control was assessed by recording how much narcotic was used by each patient during time in the recovery room and during the first 8 hours after surgery. Results show that a single dose of caudal anesthesia administered at completion of clubfoot surgery is not associated with a statistically significant change in use of narcotics during either postoperative period.