Thoracic paravertebral blockade in breast surgery: Is pneumothorax an appreciable concern? A review of over 1000 cases.

There has been a substantial increase in ambulatory day-case breast surgery in recent decades. This has been largely due to improvements in anesthetic procedures and pre-emptive analgesia. Thoracic paravertebral blockade (TPVB) is increasing in popularity, though concerns over iatrogenic injury remain, especially pneumothorax.