A pilot randomized-controlled trial evaluating the erector spinae plane block in thoracic and breast surgery.

Purpose: This pilot study evaluated the feasibility of investigating the effect of the erector spinae plane (ESP) block on the patient-centred outcomes of quality of recovery-15 (QoR-15), and brief pain inventory (BPI) in thoracic and breast surgery patients.

Methods: In this randomized-controlled pilot trial, 82 patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (n = 77) and mastectomy (n = 5) received either continuous ESP block with ropivacaine (ropivacaine group) or the same procedure with 0.9% saline (saline group).