Paediatric anaesthesia & critical care
Comparison of sacral erector spinae plane block and caudal epidural block for postoperative analgesia in pediatric hypospadias surgery: a prospective observational study
Authors' conclusion
Ultrasound-guided sacral erector spinae plane block was associated with lower postoperative pain scores, prolonged time to rescue analgesia, and reduced analgesic consumption compared with caudal epidural block in pediatric patients undergoing hypospadias surgery.
Study context
- Population
- Children aged 1–7 years, ASA I–II, undergoing elective hypospadias repair86 analysed
- Participants
- 86 children
- Exposure
- Sacral erector spinae plane (ESP) vs Caudal
- Sacral ESPn = 43
- Caudaln = 43reference
- Outcome
- FLACC score
- Follow-up
- Postoperative 12 h
Methodological detailscomparative, blinded outcome assessment
- Comparative
- Blinded outcome assessment
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
12 h
Sacral ESP
0
median · range 0–0
Caudal
1
median · range 0–2
P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
| Outcome | Sacral ESP | Caudal | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to first rescue analgesic | mean 22.7 (95% CI 21.5–23.9) h | 13.7 (95% CI 10.9–16.6) h | P < 0.001 |
| Number of postoperative analgesic administrations | P < 0.001 |
Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) scores at all other postoperative time points · 1, 2, 4, 6 and 24 h
- Median FLACC scores significantly lower in the sacral ESP group at all postoperative time points
Safety
Events
| Outcome | Sacral ESP | Caudal |
|---|---|---|
| Block-related complications | 0 | 0 |
Original publication
Comparison of sacral erector spinae plane block and caudal epidural block for postoperative analgesia in pediatric hypospadias surgery: a prospective observational study. Perioper Med (Lond). Published 9 June 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →