EFFECT OF BILATERAL ERECTOR SPINAE PLANE (ESP) BLOCK ON PAIN AFTER LAPAROSCOPIC VENTRAL HERNIA REPAIR: A CASE SERIES

Abstract

Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) operations are followed by moderate postoperative pain, shorter recovery periods and less surgical complications such as seroma, hemorrhage, intestinal injury, mesh infection and recurrence. Pain after LVHR sometimes can be severe and last more than one week up to one month. Erector spinae plane (ESP) block is inter-fascial plane block and performed bilaterally can provide a good visceral and somatic analgesia for various abdominal surgeries. We describe five cases of laparoscopic ventral hernia repair who received bilateral ESP block prior to induction to general anesthesia and its effective analgesic effect was seen in the intra- and postoperative period. Our results showed that bilateral ESP block performed before the induction to general anesthesia provided a good analgesia and low opioid consumption in the intraoperative period, low pain scores in the first 48 hours and no need of rescue analgesia after laparoscopic ventral hernia repair surgery.