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Erector Spinae Plane Block Versus Serratus Anterior Plane Block in VATS

A Comparative Study of Erector Spinae Plane Block Versus Serratus Anterior Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia After Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

Status
Recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06996691
Acronym
VATS
Enrollment
40
Registered
2025-05-30
Start date
2025-05-01
Completion date
2025-08-15
Last updated
2025-05-30

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS)

Keywords

VATS, Erector spinae plane block, Serratus anterior plane block

Brief summary

Pain control remains challenging in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). It is advised to use a regional block to lower postoperative opioid usage. This study evaluates efficacy of Erector spinae plane (ESP) block in comparison to Serratus anterior plane block (SAP) in pain management for patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS).

Detailed description

Minimally invasive thoracic surgery (MITS) has become more common over the past decade, with the proportion of lung resections performed using this technique increasing from 16% in 2005 to 47% in 2015. VATS is a minimally invasive procedure that allows rapid recovery compared to thoracic surgery. Patients scheduled for VATS experience moderate to severe pain following the procedure. This represents a significant burden peri-operatively as there is a strong relationship between poor pain control and the development of complications like pneumonia and atelectasis due to interference with spontaneous deep breathing & coughing. These complications have a negative impact on functional recovery; therefore, adequate postoperative pain relief assists in improving functional outcomes & accelerates hospital discharge. Multimodal techniques for pain control have been recommended by The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) for the management of acute postoperative pain. Traditional analgesia based on opioids have multiple adverse effects such as respiratory depression, nausea, vomiting, itching and dizziness. SAP block was first described in 2013 by Blanco as an analgesic technique.it is proposed to block the lateral cutaneous branch of the intercostal nerve, long thoracic nerve, and dorsal thoracic nerve. The block range of the SAPB covers the incisions of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and the site of the chest tube, which are often located in the antero-lateral chest wall. The local anaesthetic injection was described in two planes: the 'superficial plane' and deep plane. An ultrasound-guided ESP block was firstly reported in 2016. The ESP block injects a local anaesthetic around the erector spinae muscle at approximately the level of the T5. It may be able to block the dorsal and ventral rami of the thoracic spinal nerves. The first report of the successful use of this procedure was in 2016; the block was used to manage thoracic neuropathic pain in a patient with metastatic disease of the ribs and rib fractures

Interventions

30ml of 0.25% levobupivacaine for erector spinae block at level of T5

30 mL of 0.25% levobupivacaine injected anteriorly to the rib and deep to the serratus anterior at level of 5 th rib

Sponsors

Ain Shams University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* body mass index (BMI)=18 to 40 kg/m2

Exclusion criteria

* Contraindications to regional anesthesia as bleeding disorders , allergy to local anesthetic or infection at block site * pre-existing chronic pain * history of opiate abuse * sepsis

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
post operative opioid consumption24 hours post operativepost operative meperidine consumption throughout

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
intraoperative fentanyl consumptionduring the surgerytotal introperative fentanyl dose
the numerical rating scale24 hours post operativea segmented numeric version of the visual analog scale (VAS) in which a respondent selects a whole number (0 to 10 integers) that best reflects the intensity of their pain. 0 representing one pain extreme (e.g., no pain) and 10 representing the other pain extreme (e.g., pain as bad as you can imagine and worst pain imaginable)

Countries

Egypt

Contacts

Primary Contactabdallah M soudi, M.D.56k
Dr.soudi2014@med.asu.edu.eg+201111228925

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026