Comparative Study Between Ultrasound Guided Serratus Anterior Plane Block versus Thoracic Erector Spinae Plane Block as Postoperative Pain Management in Modified Radical Mastectomy

Abstract Background Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women, and its incidence continues to increase. Surgery is one of the mainstays of treatment of breast cancer, and Modified Radical Mastectomy (MRM) is one of the standard treatments for multi-centric disease or tumors with extensive coexistent ductal carcinoma in situ, where achieving a clear surgical margin becomes difficult with a segmental mastectomy. Objective This Study compared between Serratus Anterior Plane block and Thoracic Erector spinae block as efficacy of postoperative analgesia in Modified Radical Mastectomy. Patients and Methods This was a prospective controlled double blinded randomized clinical study that was conducted at Ain Shams University hospitals, Cairo, Egypt on Adult female patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy and were randomly assigned into two equal groups by computer generated method: Group A (control group): patients received general anaesthesia followed by Serratus Anterior plane block using only 20 ml 0.25% Bupivacaine (safety dose 3mg/kg). Group B(study group): patients received general anaesthesia followed by Thoracic Erector Spinae block using only 20ml bupivacaine 0.25 %. (safety dose 3mg /kg). Results In this study, we found that the postoperative VAS scores were better in Group SAP at 2nd, 4th, 6th and 12th hr as compared to group TES. The incidence of PONV and the requirement of Ondansetron were found to be similar in both groups. None of the patients in either group developed technique-related complications like hemodynamic instability, intravascular injection, pneumothorax, local anaesthetic systemic toxicity, and adverse effects like pruritus and respiratory depression. Conclusion USG-SAPB was effective and safe technique which provides better pain relief compared with the USG-TESP and reduced post operative opioid consumption. Therefore, the SAP can be used safely for post operative analgesia for patients undergoing MRM surgery to avoid the risk of developing chronic post mastectomy pain which reduces quality of life.