The effects of erector spinae plane block (ESPB) on surgery-related stress response in thoracic surgery.

Background: Surgical injury induces a stress response to surgery that induces tissue repair with the activation of endocrine, metabolic, and immunological mediators aimed at restoring hemostasis.

Objective: In our study to determine the effect of analgesic method on postoperative respiratory function tests, stress hormone and proinflammatory response in patients undergoing elective thoracotomy surgery.

Methods: Seventy-two patients aged between 18 and 75 years with scheduled for elective thoracotomy surgery were included in the study. Thirty-six patients who underwent Erector Spinae Plane block were included in the block group, and 36 patients were included in the control group. IL 6, TNF alpha, cortisol, CRP, insulin and blood glucose levels were measured preoperatively, at the 3rd hour after postoperative extubation and at the 24th postoperative hour.

Results: We observed that while IL6 and TNF alpha levels decreased in the ESPB group compared to the preoperative period, they increased insignificantly in the control group.

Conclusion: ESPB has a positive effect on stress hormones and proinflammatory cytokines, reduces the use of opioids and analgesics in the intraoperative and postoperative period compared to patients without block, and lower VAS scores are obtained in patients with block.