Erector Spinae Plane Block for Pain Management in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Left Hemihepatectomy: A Retrospective Propensity Score-Matched Study

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block (ESPB) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing laparoscopic left hemihepatectomy. One hundred seventy-two patients were retrospectively examined and compared: 90 who received intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with ESPB and 82 who received PCA alone. Propensity score matching was performed to balance covariates between the groups. Matching resulted in 25 matched pairs. Visual analog scale pain scores at rest and with movement at 12 and 24 hours were significantly lower in the PCA with ESPB group. This group also had a significantly lower rate of rescue analgesia use, significantly shorter time to mobilization out of bed, significantly shorter length of hospital stay, and a significantly higher rate of patient satisfaction. ESPB is an effective adjunct analgesia for laparoscopic left hemihepatectomy providing better pain control and recovery compared with intravenous analgesia alone. Use of ESPB as an adjuvant to PCA in hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing laparoscopic left hemihepatectomy was safe and effective. PCA with ESPB was more effective at alleviating postoperative pain than PCA alone.