Efficacy of Erector Spinae Plane Block for Analgesia in Thoracic Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
URL: https://www.jcvaonline.com/article/S1053-0770(21)00536-X/fulltext
DOI: 10.1053/j.jvca.2021.06.029
Published: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia (June 29, 2021)
Authors: Chang-Hoon Koo, MD, PhD, Hun-Taek Lee, MD, Hyo-Seok Na, MD, PhD, Jung-Hee Ryu, MD; PhD, Hyun-Jung Shin, MD, PhD
Article description
Summary:
- The publication aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of erector spinae plane block (ESPB) for pain management after thoracic surgery and compare it to other regional analgesic techniques.
- The authors performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials which was conducted according to the Preferred Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement guidelines
- After a systematic literature search in PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science, 17 studies representing a total of 1092 patients were included in the meta-analysis.
- This study demonstrated that ESPB effectively controls acute pain after thoracic surgery, as shown by a significant decrease in opioid consumption and pain scores compared to no block.
- ESPB was inferior to thoracic paravertebral block and intercostal nerve block but superior to serratus anterior plan block in postoperative analgesia.
- The incidence of hematoma was lower in the ESPB group than in the other groups (odds ratio 0.19, 95% CI 0.05-0.73).
Conclusions:
- ESPB is a very safe procedure providing effective pain control for thoracic surgery.
- Therefore, ESPB may be considered as a valuable option for postoperative pain management after thoracic surgery.
