Comparison of Thoracic Paravertebral Block and Ultrasound-guided Erector Spinae Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia after Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery: A Retrospective Study

Objective: This study aimed to compare the value of thoracic paravertebral block and ultrasound-guided erector spinal muscle plane block in video-assisted analgesia after thoracic surgery. Methods: Patients undergoing video-assisted thoracic surgery at our hospital from March 2022 to May 2023 were included as the subjects of this retrospective study. According to different analgesia methods, they were divided into an ultrasound group (acoustic-guided erector spinae plane block) and a conventional group (thoracic paravertebral block). General demographic data, sufentanil dose, propofol dose, blood loss and fluid replacement volume, puncture depth and time, length of stay, complications, number of analgesic pump compression, forced vital capacity (FVC), 1 s forced expiratory volume (FEV1), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), visual simulation (VAS) score, and 15 recovery quality evaluation components were collected Table (QoR-15). Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance the baseline data of the two groups. Data were analyzed by t test, chi-square test, and analysis of variance. Results: A total of 116 patients were included in this study, including 52 in the ultrasound group and 64 in the conventional group. Before PSM, statistically significant differences in age, weight, lesion location, and surgical methodmethod existed among the groups (p < 0.05). PSM matching was performed in a 1:1 ratio, and a total of 82 patients were enrolled in the ultrasound and conventional groups. The baseline data of the two groups were not statistically significant. The complications, hospital stay, pressing times of analgesic pump, and puncture depth and time in the ultrasound group were lower than those in the conventional group (p < 0.05). Two groups of tube drawing when resting and cough VAS difference (p > 0.05), but after 12, 24, and 48 h, ultrasonic VAS scores were lower than those of the normal group (p < 0.05). When two groups of T1 lung function difference (p > 0.05), but the T2, T3 FVC, FEV1, and PEFR ultrasound group were higher than those of the conventional group (p < 0.05). No significant difference in preoperative QoR-15 score existed between the two groups (p > 0.05), but the postoperative QoR-15 score in the ultrasound group was higher than that in the conventional group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block had stronger analgesic effect, which can reduce the pressing times of analgesic pump, quickly reduce pain, and improve lung function with fewer complications. Thus, it can significantly improve the quality of postoperative recovery and reduce the length of hospital stay, rendering its application worthy of promotion.