Different Local Anesthetic Volumes for TPVB in Post-thoracotomy Analgesia

Comparison of Different Local Anesthetic Volumes of Thoracic Paravertebral Block Application in Post-thoracotomy Analgesia

Thoracotomy is one of the most painful operations known. Therefore, it causes severe acute pain. If pain is not controlled, it increases the frequency of postoperative pulmonary complications and postoperative morbidity. It can even cause chronic pain in the future. Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) is the gold standard method in the treatment of pain after thoracotomy. Thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) is known as the most effective method after TEA. The fact that TPVB has fewer side effects than TEA increases the use of TPVB. There is no consensus on the dose of analgesia in studies. In the literature, volumes between 20 ml and 30 ml are frequently used for TPVB in recent years. This study, it was aimed to compare the efficacy of 20 ml, 25 ml, and 30 ml volumes of TPVB with local anesthetic at the same concentration (0.25% bupivacaine) on postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing thoracotomy.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 to 80 years old
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-II-III
• BMI 18 to 40 kg/m2
• Elective thoracotomy surgery

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient refusing the procedure
• Emergency surgery
• History of chronic opioid or analgesic used