Analgesic Effect of Erector Spinae Versus Serratus Anterior Plane Block for Thoracoscopic Sympathectomy

A Comparative Study of the Analgesic Effect of Ultrasound-guided Erector Spinae Plane Block Versus Serratus Anterior Plane Block for Thoracoscopic Sympathectomy Surgeries

• Thoracic incisions are painful and associated with chronic post-surgical pain and inadequate analgesia is associated with poorer postoperative outcomes. Recent progress has been made in the field of thoracic anesthesia by improving analgesic modalities such as PECS 1 and PECS 2, intercostal plane block, paravertebral regional anesthesia, ultrasound-guided erector spinae and serratus anterior plane block.
• Administered of the local anesthetic in erector spinae plane block is in the interfascial plane between the transverse process of the vertebra and the erector spinae muscles, spreading to multiple paravertebral spaces. It affects both the ventral and dorsal rami and leading to blockage of both visceral and somatic pain.
• Ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block is a facial plane block that provides analgesia by blocking of lateral branches of intercostal nerves above or below the serratus plane muscle.
• We hypothesize that the ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block may have better quality than the serratus anterior plane block for patients undergoing thoracoscopic sympathectomy as erector spinea plane blocks visceral and somatic pain.

Primary palmar hyperhidrosis (PPH) refers to the excessive secretion of exocrine glands on the palms, which is often accompanied by the head, face, or plantar hyperhidrosis. PPH demonstrates no obvious organic cause; however, some patients may feel distressed because their palms sweat more than normal, and such a situation may lead to severe psychological, social, and occupational dysfunction.

Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy abolishes eccrine sweating in all areas supplied by the postganglionic fibers with its complications which include post-sympathetic neuralgia which is the most important, wound infection, hemorrhage, pneumothorax, horner syndrome, no response to the operation and compensatory hyperhidrosis in non-denervated areas.

Forero described ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block for treatment of thoracic neuropathic pain and explained it as a peri-paravertebral regional anesthesia technique that has been used for prevention of postoperative pain in various surgeries.

Ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block is a facial plane block which provides analgesia by blocking of lateral branches of intercostal nerves above or below the serratus plane muscle. There are few cases and studies in the literature reporting successful analgesia provided by serratus anterior plane block

Inclusion Criteria:

• American Society of Anesthesiologists grade I or II physical status

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who had coagulopathies
• local infections
• neuropathies
• neuromuscular disease
• psychiatric disease
• history of thoracic surgery
• history of allergy to local anesthetics.
• receiving chronic analgesic therapy
• drug abusers