Sixty healthy informed female patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups : ( a ) a control group ( n = 20 ) , no treatment ; ( b ) a suprascapular nerve block group ( n = 20 ) in which a bilateral suprascapular nerve block was performed before induction of anaesthesia with 5 mL 0.5 % bupivacaine with epinephrine ; and ( c ) a piroxicam patch group ( n = 20 ) in which a 48 mg piroxicam patch on the skin of each shoulder was applied before induction of anaesthesia .
