Analgesia with blockage of the erector plane of the spine in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery. Case report

Abstract

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Persistence of pain in the postoperative thoracic region is very common with conventional analgesia performed only with opioids, which prolongs recovery, increasing costs and morbidity. Erector spinae plane blockage is a promising technique for the analgesic control in the postoperative period of cardiac surgeries. The purpose of this study was to describe a case in which erector spinae plane blockage provided adequate postoperative analgesic control. CASE REPORT: A 61-year-old male patient submitted to elective cardiac surgery for left ventricular aneurysmectomy and coronary artery bypass grafting. On the first postoperative day presented pain of intensity 8 on the visual analog scale in the left hemithorax. The patient underwent erector spinae plane blockage with a catheter located at T5 guided by ultrasound with a 17G Tuohy needle and injection of 20mL of 0.5% ropivacaine providing important decrease and improvement of pulmonary expansibility. CONCLUSION: Erector spinae plane blockage provided adequate analgesia and was considered a good therapeutic option.