Department of Anesthesia, Pain Management & Perioperative Medicine

Faculty of Medicine

Vishal Uppal, MBBS, FRCA

Professor

vishal-uppal

Publications:
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Department of Anesthesia, Pain Management & Perioperative Medicine

Email: v.uppal@dal.ca
Research Topics:
  • Rebound pain after peripheral nerve blocks: risk factors, prevention, and management
  • Postdural puncture headache: prevention, diagnosis and treatment
  • Regional anesthesia and multimodal analgesia for Caesarean delivery
  • Neurological complications after peripheral nerve blocks
  • Ultrasound-guided brachial plexus blocks: optimizing technique, efficacy, and safety

Administrative Roles

  • Regional Anesthesia Division Chief, Dalhousie University
  • Associate Editor, Canadian Journal of Anesthesia
  • Associate Editor, Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
  • Board Member, American Society of Regional Anesthesia Pain Medicine

Education

  • MSc (Clinical Trials) (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)
  • Fellowship, regional anesthesia (University of Western Ontario)
  • FRCA (Anesthesia) (Royal College of Anaesthetists, London, UK)
  • Fellowship, obstetric anesthesia (NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde)
  • Resident, anesthesia (NHS Scotland)
  • MBBS (Karnatak University)

Research Interests

Dr. Uppal’s primary research interests are in improving the safety and efficacy of regional anesthesia techniques in high-risk patient population.

Recognition

ASRA Presidential Scholar Award 2024 - American Society of Regional Anesthesia Pain Medicine

Selected Publications

  1. Uppal V, Zaphiratos V, Allen VM, et al. Comparison of intrathecal morphine, lateral quadratus lumborum block, and their combination for analgesia and quality of recovery after Caesarean delivery: a randomised, double-blind, two-centre clinical trial. British Journal of Anaesthesia. 2026;137(3):764–772. doi:10.1016/j.bja.2026.04.081.
  2. Jen TTH, Uppal V. The quest to prevent rebound pain: clarity or uncertainty? Anaesthesia. 2026;81(9):1205–1208. doi:10.1111/anae.70242.
  3. Uppal V, Barry G, Ke JXC, et al. Reducing rebound pain severity after arthroscopic shoulder surgery under general anesthesia and interscalene block: a two-centre randomized controlled trial of pre-emptive opioid treatment compared with placebo. Canadian Journal of Anesthesia. 2024;71(6):773–783. doi:10.1007/s12630-023-02594-0.
  4. Uppal V, Russell R, Sondekoppam RV, et al. Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines on postdural puncture headache: a consensus report from a multisociety international working group. Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. 2024;49(7):471–501. doi:10.1136/rapm-2023-104817.
  5. Uppal V, Russell R, Sondekoppam R, et al. Consensus Practice Guidelines on Postdural Puncture Headache From a Multisociety, International Working Group: A Summary Report. JAMA Network Open. 2023;6(8). doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.25387.

Selected Invited Presentations

  1. Rebound Pain Is Preventable: A Sign We Can and Must Do Better. European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy (ESRA) Annual Congress 2026, Lisbon, Portugal.
  2. Mixing Local Anesthetics Is a Waste of Time. European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy (ESRA) Annual Congress 2026, Lisbon, Portugal.
  3. Reviewing: Painful, but Necessary. ESRA Annual Congress 2026, Lisbon, Portugal.
  4. Nerve Injury Guideline: Debunking Dogma in Protective Factors. Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society Annual Meeting 2026, Ottawa, Canada.
  5. Management of Pain After Caesarean Section When Neuraxial Opioids Are Not an Option. Harvard Anesthesiology Update 2026, Boston, USA.
  6. Regional Anesthesia for Breast Surgery: When and Which Blocks to Use? 51st Congress of the Chilean Society of Anesthesiology 2025, Santiago, Chile.
  7. Post-Dural Puncture Headache Revisited (Plenary, 2025). 50th Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting, American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA), Orlando, USA.