Serratus posterior superior intercostal plane block versus thoracic paravertebral block for pain management after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: a randomized prospective study

Abstract

Background

Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) is a minimally invasive procedure associated with faster recovery and fewer complications compared to open thoracotomy. Effective postoperative pain management is important for optimizing recovery. This study compares the analgesic efficacy of the Serratus Posterior Superior Intercostal Plane Block (SPSIPB) and Thoracic Paravertebral Block (TPVB) for postoperative pain following VATS.

Methods

In this randomized, prospective, double-blind study, 70 patients aged 18–65 years (ASA I–III) undergoing VATS were randomly assigned to Group TPVB (n = 35) or Group SPSIPB (n = 35). The primary outcome was the 24-hour postoperative Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score at rest. Secondary outcomes included VAS pain scores during coughing, time to first opioid request, total opioid consumption within 24 hours, patient satisfaction, and Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) scores. Opioid consumption was assessed using intravenous tramadol through Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA), with additional morphine, if required.

Results

The mean age of the patients was 52 ± 11 years, and 64.2% were male. VAS pain scores were evaluated at 24 hours and at seven time points. There was no significant difference between groups (p > 0.05) except at 1 hour postoperatively, where the TPVB group had a significantly lower resting VAS score (19 [8–28] vs. 26 [18.5–33], p = 0.031). The total 24 hour tramadol consumption was 220 mg (135–260) in the TPVB group versus 150 mg (110–230) in the SPSIPB group (p = 0.129). The proportion of patients requiring additional analgesia was 25.7% in the TPVB group versus 28.5% in the SPSIPB group (p = 0.788). Preoperative and postoperative QoR-15 scores were similar between the groups (preoperative: 137 vs. 136, p = 0.878; postoperative: 133 vs. 132, p = 0.814). Patient satisfaction scores were also comparable (8 [7–10] vs. 9 [7–10], p = 0.789).

Conclusion

SPSIPB provides analgesic efficacy similar to TPVB for VATS, with comparable pain scores, opioid consumption, and recovery outcomes. Given its ease of use and safety profile, SPSIPB represents a promising alternative to TPVB in multimodal analgesia for minimally invasive thoracic surgery.