The erector spinae plane block in 4 cases of video-assisted thoracic surgery

Multimodal anaesthesia, combining epidural catheter and general anaesthesia, is a common technique in thoracic surgery, however, epidural catheter placement is not always possible. Recently, erector spinae plane block has been described, which provides analgesia like that of the epidural block, although unilateral, and which has been used in various procedures at thoracic level. At present, there are no studies comparing the efficacy or safety of this block with those commonly used in thoracic surgery. However, its safety profile and contraindications seem different from those of the epidural catheter, since its placement is done under ultrasound view, the needle introduction is done in plane and the ultrasound target, the transverse process, is easily identifiable and is relatively remote from major neural or vascular structures and the pleura. Unlike other blockages made by anatomical references, erector spinae plane block can be done with the patient in different positions. We describe our experience with erector spinae plane block as part of a multimodal anaesthetic approach in thoracic surgery.