Efficacy of Erector Spinae Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Adult Patients Undergoing Thoracoscopy

Efficacy of Erector Spinae Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Adult Patients Undergoing Thoracoscopy

The erector spinae plane block has been recently described as an effective analgesic postoperative pain treatment in case reports. It consists of injecting local anaesthetics below the erector spinae muscle, at the level of the transverse processes, in order to anaesthetize the thoracic roots coming out from the spinal cord. However, the analgesic efficacy has never been demonstrated in a randomized controlled trial. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the analgesic benefit of this block on patients scheduled for thoracoscopy.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients scheduled for thoracoscopy
• physical status I-III

Exclusion Criteria:

• allergy to local anaesthetics
• other contraindications to peripheral nerve blocks
• patients suffering from chronic pain condition