Ultrasound-guided Continuous Erector Spinae Plane Block Versus Thoracic Epidural Analgesia in Open Nephrectomy

National Cancer Institute, Egypt

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Thoracic Epidural Analgesia; Erector Spinae Plane Block; Nephrectomy

Treatments: Procedure: Thoracic epidural analgesia; Procedure: Ultrasound guided continuous erector spinae plane block

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04947644

2015-301-015

Details and patient eligibility

About

There are different case studies about the use of erector spinae block (ESPB ) in nephrectomy, but there are no enough randomized controlled studies about it until now so it will be one of the earliest studies that investigate the effect of ESPB to relief acute postoperative pain in patients undergoing open nephrectomy.

Although ESPB and thoracic epidural analgesia blocks successfully reduced postoperative opioid consumption in previous studies, no study has ever compared their efficacy in postoperative analgesia of adult patients undergoing open nephrectomy under general anesthesia thus in this randomized comparative study we are aiming to fill this gap in the literature.

The aim of this study is to compare the analgesic effect of ultrasound-guided continuous erector spinae plane block versus thoracic epidural analgesia in open nephrectomy for renal cancer patients.

Full description

The erector spinae muscle (ESM) is a complex formed by the spinalis, longissimus thoracis, and iliocostalis muscles that run vertically in the back. The ESP block is performed by depositing the local anesthetic (LA) in the fascial plane, deeper than the ESM at the tip of the transverse process of the vertebra. Hence, LA is distributed in the cranio-caudal fascial plane. Additionally, it diffuses anteriorly to the paravertebral and epidural spaces, and laterally to the intercostal space at several levels.

Cadaveric studies was done on ESPB using MRI to evaluate the spread of local anesthetic mixed with gadolinium dye. Showed the spread of injected volume of 30 ml at level of T10 spread between the level of T5 and T12 . Other cadaveric study showed the spread of the dye to thoracic paravertebral space which may explain the visceral analgesic effect of the block.

There are different case studies about the use of erector spinae block (ESPB ) in nephrectomy, but there are no enough randomized controlled studies about it until now so it will be one of the earliest studies that investigate the effect of ESPB to relief acute postoperative pain in patients undergoing open nephrectomy.

Although ESPB and thoracic epidural analgesia blocks successfully reduced postoperative opioid consumption in previous studies, no study has ever compared their efficacy in postoperative analgesia of adult patients undergoing open nephrectomy under general anesthesia thus in this randomized comparative study we are aiming to fill this gap in the literature.

The aim of this study is to compare the analgesic effect of ultrasound-guided continuous erector spinae plane block versus thoracic epidural analgesia in open nephrectomy for renal cancer patients.

Enrollment: 54 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• American Society of Anesthesiologists class II.
• Patients undergoing open nephrectomy for malignant renal tumors.
• Body mass index (BMI): > 20 kg/m2 and < 40 kg/m2.

Exclusion criteria

• Patient refusal.
• Local infection at the puncture site.
• Coagulopathies with platelet count below 50,000 or an international normalized ratio >1.6.
• Renal and hepatic insufficiency.
• Unstable cardiovascular disease.
• History of psychiatric and cognitive disorders.
• Patients allergic to medication used.
• Abnormal anatomy of the thoracic region.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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54 participants in 2 patient groups

Thoracic epidural analgesia group

Active Comparator group

Description:

After negative response, 10 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine will be injected as a bolus dose in the epidural catheter in 5ml divided aliquots at 5min intervals, 30 min before the induction of general anesthesia and the patient will be turned to the supine position. Sensory block will be assessed in operated side by loss of pinprick sensation in midclavicular line every 2 min. After 15min, if the sensory block level was still below T5, an additional 5ml bupivacaine was given. Then followed by continuous infusion of bupivacaine 0.125% at a rate of 6 ml/h that will be started before skin incision and the dose was increased in 2 ml/h increments up to 10 ml/h for 24 hours. Rate adjustment according to pain score and side effects

Treatment:

Procedure: Thoracic epidural analgesia

Ultrasound guided continuous erector spinae plane block group

Experimental group

Description:

After verifying the correct space with hydrodissection by 5mL of saline 0.9%, lifting erector spinae muscle off the bony shadow of the transverse process, a catheter was inserted was inserted 3 cm beyond the needle tip and 20 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine will be injected as a bolus dose in the epidural catheter in 10 ml divided aliquots at 5min intervals, 30 min before the induction of general anesthesia and the patient will be turned to the supine position. Sensory block will be assessed in operated side by loss of pinprick sensation in midclavicular line every 2 min. After 15min, if the sensory block level was still below T5, an additional 5ml bupivacaine was given. Then followed by continuous infusion of bupivacaine 0.125% at a rate of 6 ml/h that will be started before skin incision and the dose was increased in 2 ml/h increments up to 10 ml/h for 24 hours. Rate adjustment according to pain score and side effects

Treatment:

Procedure: Ultrasound guided continuous erector spinae plane block