Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation to prevent rebound pain after interscalene block for arthroscopic shoulder surgery

The authors aimed to determine whether transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) could reduce rebound pain following interscalene block in patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery. The study found that taVNS significantly decreased the incidence of rebound pain and was associated with lower pain scores and improved quality of recovery and sleep, without increasing adverse events. These results suggest that taVNS may enhance postoperative pain management in this surgical context.