A paracervical block is an anesthetic procedure used in obstetrics and gynecology, in which a local anesthetic

Local anesthetic

A local anesthetic is a drug that causes reversible local anesthesia, generally for the aim of having local analgesic effect, that is, inducing absence of pain sensation, although other local senses are often affected as well...

 is injected into between two to six sites at a depth of 3-7 mm alongside the vaginal portion of the cervix in the vaginal fornices

Vaginal fornix

The fornices of the vagina are the deepest portions of the vagina, extending into the recesses created by the vaginal portion of cervix. The word 'fornix' is Latin for 'arch'....

.

It is used for various obstetric and gynecologic procedures, such as hysteroscopy

Hysteroscopy

Hysteroscopy is the inspection of the uterine cavity by endoscopy with access through the cervix. It allows for the diagnosis of intrauterine pathology and serves as a method for surgical intervention .-Method:...

 and vacuum aspiration.
It is as efficient as intracervical block, according to a study on women undergoing vacuum aspiration with lidocaine

Lidocaine

Lidocaine , Xylocaine, or lignocaine is a common local anesthetic and antiarrhythmic drug. Lidocaine is used topically to relieve itching, burning and pain from skin inflammations, injected as a dental anesthetic or as a local anesthetic for minor surgery.- History :Lidocaine, the first amino...

as anesthetic agent.

Further reading

• paracervical block By Robert Nadelberg. Copyright 2007 by Boston Scientific Corporation