ANALGESIC EFFICACY OF BILATERAL ULTRASOUND GUIDED ERECTOR SPINAE PLANE BLOCK IN LUMBAR SPINE SURGERIES

Abstract

Background: Pain after lumbar spine surgery is often difficult to control in the postoperative period. Traditionally, opioids have been the mainstay of treatment but are associated with many unwanted side effects and prolonged hospital stay. The ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is a relatively safe, simple technique. However, there are few controlled studies evaluating its efficacy. Objective: To evaluate the analgesic efficacy of bilateral ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block in lumbar spine surgeries. Patients and Methods: This study included 50 patients of both sexes admitted for lumbar surgery at the AlHussein University Hospital from December 2019 to August 2020. They were randomly allocated into two groups: Control group (general anesthesia without ESPBP), and ESPB Group: included general anesthesia and bilateral ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block. The following parameters were assessed in the two studied groups: Heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure, arterial oxygen saturation, end-tidal CO2, recovery profile, time of patient ambulation, visual analog score pain scores (VAS), Ramsay Sedation Scale scores, first request for postoperative analgesia, adverse events, the level of the patient satisfaction, and total dose of postoperative nalbuphine consumption. Results: This study showed a significant statistical difference regarding the postoperative VAS pain scores between the two groups. Patients who received ESPB had improved post-operative analgesia, better patients’ satisfaction, and earlier patient ambulation. Conclusion: Bilateral ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block in lumbar spine surgeries is one of the most advantageous adjuvant blocks for improving post-operative pain relief and reducing opioid use and subsequently side effects.