Comparison of fascial plane blocks (ESPB vs. TPVB) for pain relief following modified radical mastectomy.

Background And Aims: The erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is a novel regional anesthesia technique compared to the thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) in providing postoperative pain relief in breast surgeries. Modified radical mastectomy (MRM) is a commonly performed surgery for breast cancer. The objective of the study is to compare the efficacy of ESPB and TPVB in providing postoperative pain relief after MRM.

Material And Methods: This is a prospective randomized study conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Sixty ASA I-III adult patients (age >18 years) scheduled to undergo elective unilateral MRM for breast cancer were enrolled in the study. Ultrasound-guided ESPB or TPVB with 0.25% bupivacaine was performed preoperatively on the patients randomized into two groups, namely, the ESPB and TPVB groups. All patients received patient-controlled analgesia for postoperative pain relief. Morphine consumption and Visual Analog Score (VAS) for pain were recorded at 3, 6, 12, and 24 h postoperatively.

Results: Primarily, the mean postoperative VAS scores between the two groups at 3, 6, 12, and 24 h showed no statistical significance and were comparable when matched at different time points. However, 24-h morphine consumption was significantly more in the ESPB group ( = 0.035). Duration of block performance also showed a significant difference, with ESPB taking less time to perform ( < 0.001). The mean age and body mass index (BMI) of patients and length of hospital stay in both the groups were similar.

Conclusions: Both ESPB and TPVB provided adequate analgesia in patients undergoing MRM; however, TPVB had better efficacy and opioid-sparing effect when compared to ESPB.