Comparative analysis of PECS-2 and ESP for acute and chronic pain control in breast-conserving surgery. A prospective study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of Pectoral Nerve Block 2 (PECS-2) and Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESP), which are accepted to have an effect on post-operative pain control after breast cancer surgery, on both acute and chronic pain.

Method: In this double-blind, prospective, randomized study, patients were randomized using a sealed envelope method into two groups: those who underwent PECS-2 (Group P) and those who underwent ESP (Group E) before extubation at the end of the operation. The numerical rating scale (NRS) of patients was queried by a blinded researcher at post-operative 1, 2, 6, 12, and 24 h. In addition, patients were queried for the presence of chronic pain at the 3rd month using NRS.

Results: The NRS scores at 1 h and 2 h in Group P were significantly lower compared to Group E. There was no significant difference in NRS scores at 6 h, 12 h, and 24 h between the groups. The rate of chronic pain was similar between the groups.

Conclusion: In this study examining the effects of ESP and PECS-2 on acute and chronic pain after BCS due to breast cancer, PECS-2 was associated with less post-operative pain.