Single injection Erector Spinae Plane block for vascular ring repair: Is a catheter required?

• Main Authors: Cassandra Hoffmann, Alain Harb, Elie Geara, Eric Devaney, Shelley Ohliger
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2020-09-01
• Series: Journal of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports
• Subjects: Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) block; Pediatric thoracotomy; Vascular ring repair
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213576620301871
• ISSN: 2213-5766

Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) blocks have been used successfully in adults to manage post-operative pain associated with thoracotomy. In pediatric patients, thoracotomy pain is often managed with multimodal analgesia and neuraxial or regional techniques. The use of a single injection ESP block in pediatric thoracotomy patients can provide sensory nerve blockade, reduce sympathetic discharge, and decrease perioperative opioid requirements. This case report describes two pediatric patients undergoing vascular ring repair via left thoracotomy where post-operative pain was managed with a single injection ESP block and multimodal analgesia.