Fatma Acil, Departamento de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Health Sciences University Diyarbakir Gazi Yasargil Research and Education Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turquía
Andaç Dedeoğlu, Departamento de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Health Sciences University Diyarbakir Gazi Yasargil Research and Education Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turquía
Okan Andıç, Departamento de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Health Sciences University Diyarbakir Gazi Yasargil Research and Education Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turquía
Zeki Korhan, Departamento de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Health Sciences University Diyarbakir Gazi Yasargil Research and Education Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turquía
Ahmet Sızlanan, Departamento de Cirugía Torácica. Health Sciences University Diyarbakir Gazi Yasargil Research and Education Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turquía
Atilla Durkan, Departamento de Cirugía Torácica. Health Sciences University Diyarbakir Gazi Yasargil Research and Education Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turquía
Hülya Tosun Söner, Departamento de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Health Sciences University Diyarbakir Gazi Yasargil Research and Education Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turquía
Osman Uzundere, Departamento de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Health Sciences University Diyarbakir Gazi Yasargil Research and Education Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turquía
Sedat Kaya, Departamento de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Health Sciences University Diyarbakir Gazi Yasargil Research and Education Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turquía
Cem Kıvılcım Kaçar, Departamento de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Health Sciences University Diyarbakir Gazi Yasargil Research and Education Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turquía
Erhan Gökçek, Departamento de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Health Sciences University Diyarbakir Gazi Yasargil Research and Education Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turquía
Background: Postoperative pain after thoracotomy can be severe. Objective: To assess whether low-dose morphine-assisted thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) reduces pain (as measured by the visual analogue scale [VAS]) and opioid consumption more than erector spinae plane block (ESP) in patients after thoracotomy. Material and methods: 140 patients scheduled for elective thoracotomy (69 with TEA and 71 with ESP) were evaluated. VAS scores, respiratory capacity, nausea, vomiting, pruritus and opioid consumption were recorded at different intervals after the operation (30 min, 2, 6, 12 and 24 hours). Results: Patients with TEA had significantly lower VAS scores in all postoperative measurements compared to the ESP group (p < 0.001). Respiratory capacity was also higher in the TEA group (p < 0.001). Postoperative opioid consumption was lower in the TEA group (p < 0.001), although there were no differences in intraoperative consumption (p = 1). Conclusions: TEA with low-dose morphine improves long-term postoperative pain control compared with ESP block.
Keywords: Thoracotomy surgery. Thoracic epidural analgesia. Erector spinae plane block. Visual analogue scale. Postoperative pain.