Comparison of Caudal Block and Erector Spinae Block for Postoperative Analgesia

Circumcision and any lower abdominal surgery in the pediatric population result in a very painful postoperative period, even when each procedure is evaluated separately. Caudal block (CB), a regional anesthesia technique, is the most commonly used neuraxial block method for postoperative pain control in sub-umbilical surgeries in children. However, peripheral nerve blocks have been reported to be preferred in recent years in the literature since they provide longer and safer analgesia. One of these blocks, the erector spina plane (ESP) block, has been shown to provide effective postoperative analgesia when administered from the lumbar level for sacral and lower abdominal surgeries and urogenital surgeries in pediatric patients. As far as we know, there is no previous study in the literature comparing CB and ESP block in pediatric patients.