Objectives and Aim: Thoracotomies are widely recognized to cause acute
pain which is associated with many complications. The target study aimed to
assess the safety and efficacy of SAPB compared to TEA for relieving severe
thoracotomy pain. Patients and Methods: Forty patients scheduled for thoracotomy
randomly allocated either to receive SAPB or thoracic epidural
(TEA). Visual analogue pain score (VAS) at rest and coughing every 6 hrs.
Postoperative, hemodynamic parameters (heart rate and MAP), pain rescue
analgesic consumption in the first 24 hrs., complications, and duration of
hospital stay recorded. Results: In our study, we found that the recently described
SAPB, while maintaining stable blood pressure, provided excellent
analgesia comparable to that offered by TEA for acute post-thoracotomy
pain. Hypotension was more noteworthy in those who had epidurals than
those with serratus anterior plane (SAP) catheters. Morphine rescue analgesia,
as well as Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain scores during normal tidal
breathing, were like in both groups. Conclusion: We recommend that the
Serratus anterior plane block appears to be a safe and effective alternative for
postoperative analgesia after thoracotomy. |
