Abstract
BACKGROUND: Postoperative sleep disturbance is highly prevalent after laparoscopic surgery and is closely associated with perioperative stress responses, impaired recovery quality, and prolonged hospital stay. However, effective interventions specifically targeting postoperative sleep remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of perioperative stellate ganglion block (SGB) on postoperative sleep in patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery. METHODS: This single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial enrolled eligible patients undergoing elective gynecological laparoscopic surgery, who were randomly assigned to the SGB group or the control group. Patients in the SGB group received an ultrasound-guided right stellate ganglion block before anesthesia induction. Postoperative sleep quality on postoperative days 1 and 2 was assessed using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and self-reported Total Sleep Time (TST) as the primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes included postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), analgesia-related variables, perioperative hemodynamic changes, and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, patients in the SGB group had significantly lower AIS scores and longer TST on postoperative days 1 and 2. The incidence of postoperative sleep disturbance was reduced, and hospital length of stay was significantly shorter in the SGB group. No significant differences were observed in preoperative sleep status between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Perioperative stellate ganglion block significantly improves early postoperative sleep in patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery. Improvement in sleep may represent an important pathway through which SGB facilitates perioperative recovery. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=212749, identifier (ChiCTR2300078051).