Scalp Infiltration With Dexamethasone Plus Ropivacaine for Post-craniotomy Pain

Exclusion Criteria

• •Previous history of craniotomy;
• •Plan to delay extubation or no plan to extubate;
• •Patients who cannot use the patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device;
• •Patients who cannot comprehend the instructions of a numeric rating scale (NRS) before craniotomy;
• •Body mass index (BMI) \<15 or \>35;
• •Allergy to dexamethasone, lipid microsphere, opioids or ropivacaine;
• •History of drug abuse or excessive alcohol, chronic opioids use (more than 2 weeks), or use of any sedative or analgesic before surgery;
• •History of uncontrolled epilepsy, psychiatric disorders or chronic headache;
• •Pregnant or at breastfeeding;
• •Symptomatic cardiopulmonary, liver or renal dysfunction or combined with diabetes or other systemic dysfunction;
• •Glasgow Coma Scale \<15 before the surgery;
• •Intracranial hypertension;
• •Peri-incisional infection;
• •Patients who have received chemoradiotherapy before the surgery or expected to receive postoperative chemoradiotherapy according to the preoperative imaging.