Comparison of the efficacy of erector spinae plane block according to the difference in bupivacaine concentrations for analgesia after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a retrospective study

Abstract

Although laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is noninvasive, painBackground: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is a noninvasive surgery, but postoperative pain is a major problem. Studies have indicated that erector spinae plane block (ESPB) has an analgesic effect after LC. We aimed to compare the efficacy of different ESPB anesthetic concentrations in pain control in patients with LC. Methods: This retrospective study included patients aged 20 to 75 years scheduled for LC with the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification I or II. ESPB was administered using 0.375% bupivacaine in group 1 and 0.25% in group 2. Both groups received general anesthesia. Postoperative tramadol consumption and pain scores were compared and intraoperative and postoperative fentanyl requirements in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) were measured. Results: Eighty-five patients were included in this analysis. Tramadol consumption in the first 12 hours, second 12 hours, and total 24 hours was similar between groups (p> 0.05). The differences between postoperative numeric rating scale (NRS) scores at rest did not differ significantly. The postoperative NRS scores upon bodily movement were not statistically different between the two groups, except at 12 hours. The mean intraoperative and postoperative fentanyl requirements in the PACU were similar. The difference in the requirement for rescue analgesics was not statistically significant (p= 0.788). Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided ESPB performed with different bupivacaine concentrations was effective in both groups for LC analgesia, with similar opioid consumption. A lower concentration of local anesthetic can be helpful for the safety of regional anesthesia and is recommended for the analgesic effect of ESPB in LC.

Bilateral erector spinal block on opioid-sparing effect in upper abdominal surgery: study protocol for a bi-center prospective randomized controlled trial

“…The simple application and safety of ESP block have increased its acceptability [39,40,41]. Thus, ESP block has been studied in a small number of randomized trials involving various types of abdominal surgery [42,43,44,45], but these papers mainly concentrated on lower abdominal surgery and surgery with lower analgesia requirements.…”