2021 Volume 67 Issue 2 Pages 173-180
Objective: Although epidural anesthesia and paravertebral blocks are routinely administered to achieve postoperative analgesia after trunk surgery, the use of anticoagulant therapy has increased the number of cases in which these procedures are contraindicated. The efficacy of erector spinae plane block (ESPB), an alternative method of postoperative analgesia, has been reported following trunk surgery. This study aimed to determine the analgesic effect of this procedure over a 48-h period following abdominal, breast, and spinal surgery.
Methods: This stratified randomized, observer-blinded comparative study enrolled patients aged ≥20 years who underwent abdominal, breast, or spinal surgery at Juntendo University Shizuoka Hospital between June 20, 2018 and February 7, 2019. Patients were divided into the ESPB and non-ESPB groups. Numerical rating scale (NRS) scores, which were used to assess pain 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h after surgery, were compared between both groups. The occurrence of adverse events was recorded.
Results: The analysis included 51 and 59 patients from the ESPB and non-ESPB groups, respectively. NRS scores were significantly lower in the ESPB group than in the non-ESPB group during the 48-h postoperative period. One patient in each group complained of nausea. Numbness of the extremities or an itching sensation of the skin were not observed in any patient.
Conclusions: ESPB significantly reduced NRS scores during the initial 48-h postoperative period without major complications. Our findings indicate the utility of the ESPB for postoperative analgesia after trunk surgery.
