Effect of erector spinae plane block on the postoperative quality of recovery after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a prospective double-blind study.

Abstract Background Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a common surgical procedure that frequently results in substantial postoperative pain. Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) has been shown to have beneficial postoperative analgesic effects when used as a part of multimodal analgesia. The aim of this study was to determine whether ESPB improves postoperative recovery quality in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Evaluation of the effects of ESPB on postoperative pain, opioid consumption, and nausea and vomiting was the secondary objective. Methods In this prospective double-blind study, 82 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomised into one of two groups: a standard multimodal analgesic regimen in Group N (control) or an ESPB was performed in Group E. Preoperative and postoperative recovery quality was measured using the 40-item quality of recovery (QoR-40) questionnaire; postoperative pain was evaluated using the numerical rating scale scores. Results Postoperative mean (standard deviation) QoR-40 scores were higher in Group E (181 [7.3]) than in Group N (167 [11.4]); P Conclusions ESPB improved postoperative quality of recovery in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Moreover, ESPB reduced pain scores and cumulative opioid consumption. Clinical trial registration NCT04112394.