Cardiothoracic & vascular anesthesia
Incidence of chronic postsurgical pain after cardiac surgery and the effect of bilateral erector spinae plane block: a randomized controlled trial
Authors' conclusion
The ESP block effectively reduced acute pain and opioid consumption; however, it had no significant effect on the incidence or severity of CPSP at 3 and 6 months.
Study context
- Population
- Adults 18–80 years, ASA II–III, scheduled for elective cardiac surgery via median sternotomy
- Participants
- 63 adults
- Comparison
- Bilateral ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane (ESP) block vs standard care without RA
- Primary endpoint
- Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) score
- Follow-up
- 3 months postoperatively
Methodological detailsprospective, single-blind
- Prospective
- Single-blind
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
BPI score · 3 months
ESP block
0
median · IQR 26
Standard care
12
median · IQR 31
P = 0.166
Secondary outcomes
Morphine consumption · 24 hours postoperative · significantly lower in the ESP block group
P < 0.001
Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) scores · multiple time points
- Significantly lower in the ESP block group at multiple time points
Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), DN4 and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores · 3 and 6 months
- No significant differences between the groups
Original publication
Incidence of chronic postsurgical pain after cardiac surgery and the effect of bilateral erector spinae plane block: a randomized controlled trial. Reg Anesth Pain Med. Published 7 May 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →