Thoracic Interfascial Plane Blocks and Outcomes After Minithoracotomy for Valve Surgery.

Thoracic interfascial plane blocks are increasingly used for pain management after minimally invasive thoracotomy for valve repair and replacement procedures. We hypothesized that the addition of these blocks to the intercostal nerve block injected by the surgeon would further reduce pain scores and opioid utilization. In this retrospective cohort study, 400 consecutive patients who underwent minimally invasive thoracotomy for mitral or aortic valve replacement and were extubated within 2 hours of surgery were enrolled.