Comparison of the postoperative effects of the erector spinae plane block and local infiltration analgesia in patients operated with lumbotomy surgery incision: Randomized clinical study.

Background: Our aim was to observe the effects of local infiltration analgesia (LIA) or erector spinae plane block (ESPB) methods, which we applied preemptively in patients who were scheduled for surgery with a lumbotomy surgical incision and on intraoperative remifentanil consumption, and to compare the postoperative numerical rating scale (NRS), morphine demand, consumption, and pain degrees.

Methods: Sixty American Society of Anesthesiologists I to III patients aged 18 to 75 years who were due to be operated on with a lumbotomy surgical incision were included in the study. The present study was conducted via prospective, randomized controlled, double-blind trials. After the induction of standard anesthesia, LIA was applied to 30 patients and ESPB was applied to 30 patients preemptively. The dose of remifentanil consumed in the intraoperative period was measured, and the hemodynamic parameters were measured every 5 minutes. Morphine bolus treatment with the postoperative patient-controlled analgesia and rescue analgesia with paracetamol were planned for the patients. Postoperative morphine and additional analgesia consumption, NRS, hemodynamic parameters, and complications were recorded for 48 hours.

Results: There was no difference between the groups in terms of demographic and hemodynamic data. The mean consumption of remifentanil was measured as 455 ± 165.23 µg in the intraoperative ESPB group and 296.67 ± 110.59 µg in the LIA group, and a statistical difference was observed (P = .001). In the postoperative follow-ups, the ESPB group drug consumption and NRS score averages were significantly lower at all times (P = .01; patient-controlled analgesia-morphine, 41.93 ± 14.47 mg vs 57.23 ± 15.5 mg and additional analgesic-paracetamol: 2.1 ± 1.06 vs 4.27 ± 1.14 g). The mean duration of additional analgesic intake of the groups was 10.6 ± 8.1 in the LIA group, while it was 19.33 ± 8.87 in the ESPB group, a significant difference. The patient satisfaction questionnaire was also significantly in favor of ESPB (P = .05).

Conclusions: In conclusion, it has been shown that the intraoperative LIA method is more effective in terms of remifentanil consumption and in controlling pain in operations performed with a flank incision, but the ESPB method provides longer and more effective pain control in postoperative follow-ups.