Skip to main content

Opioid Use Down With Erector Spinae Plane Blocks in Lumbar Laminectomy

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Nov 10, 2023.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Nov. 9, 2023 -- For patients undergoing open lumbar laminectomy, ultrasound-guided bilateral erector spinae plane blocks (ESPBs) combined with multimodal analgesia reduce opioid consumption, according to a study recently published in the European Spine Journal.

Jesse W. Stewart, M.D., from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and colleagues compared the analgesic effects of preoperative, bilateral, ultrasound-guided ESPBs combined with standardized multimodal analgesia with multimodal analgesia alone (25 patients in each group) among patients undergoing one or two level open lumbar laminectomy.

The researchers found that with ESPBs, opioid requirements at 24 hours were significantly lower (31.9 ± 12.3 versus 61.2 ± 29.9 mg oral opioid equivalents). In the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and through postoperative day two, pain scores were significantly lower with ESPBs. Fewer patients in the ESPB group versus the non-ESPB group received postoperative antiemetic therapy (12 versus 48 percent). In addition, significantly shorter PACU duration was seen with ESPBs (49.7 ± 9.5 versus 79.9 ± 24.6 minutes).

"These findings suggest that ESPBs can play a major role in an opioid-sparing recovery plan that utilizes a multimodal pain management approach, not only in spine surgery but potentially for other types of surgery as well," Stewart said in a statement.

One author disclosed ties to Baxter Pharmaceuticals.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Procedure Risk Tied to Outcomes in Older Emergency General Surgery Patients

WEDNESDAY, May 8, 2024 -- Procedure risk is more strongly associated with outcomes in older patients undergoing emergency general surgery than assessing frailty, according to a...

Seven Percent of Outpatients Experience One or More Adverse Event

MONDAY, May 6, 2024 -- Among outpatients, 7.0 percent have at least one adverse event (AE), with adverse drug events being the most common, according to a study published online...

Cannabis Use Disorder Increasingly Seen in Teens Scheduled for Surgery

MONDAY, May 6, 2024 -- For adolescents scheduled for surgery, the prevalence of cannabis use disorder (CUD) is increasing and is associated with higher odds of postoperative...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.