Analgesic Efficacy and Hemodynamic Stability of Ultrasound-guided Thoracic Erector Spinae Plane Block Versus Thoracic Epidural Analgesia in Pediatric Thoracic Surgery: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

This prospective, single-center, randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Department of Anesthesiology at Vietnam National Children's Hospital between January 2024 and December 2024 after approval by the institutional review board. Written informed consent was obtained from the patients' parents or legal guardians before enrollment. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and reported following the CONSORT guidelines.

Children aged 4-16 years with ASA physical status I-II undergoing elective unilateral thoracic surgery under general anesthesia were enrolled. Eligible procedures included surgery for pulmonary cysts, mediastinal tumors, diaphragmatic hernia, lung tumors, and chest wall tumors. Patients with allergy to local anesthetics, significant hepatic, renal, or cardiovascular disease, coagulation disorders, untreated hypovolemia, infection at the puncture site, spinal or chest wall deformities, or paravertebral tumors near the puncture level were excluded. Patients were withdrawn if consent was withdrawn, if major intraoperative bleeding (>20 mL/kg) occurred, or if conversion to median sternotomy was required.

After enrollment, patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to one of the following study groups:

• ESPB group: After induction of general anesthesia, patients underwent ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block at the T5-T6 or T6-T7 level using a high-frequency linear probe. Following hydrodissection confirmation, 0.25% levobupivacaine (0.3 mL/kg, maximum 20 mL) was injected and a catheter was inserted for continuous postoperative analgesia.
• TEA group: After induction of general anesthesia, patients underwent thoracic epidural catheter placement at the T5-T6 or T6-T7 interspace using the loss-of-resistance technique with a Tuohy needle. After confirmation of correct placement, 0.25% levobupivacaine (0.3 mL/kg, maximum 20 mL) was administered through the epidural catheter.

General anesthesia was induced with midazolam (0.03 mg/kg), fentanyl (2 µg/kg), propofol (3 mg/kg), and atracurium (0.6 mg/kg). Following endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation was adjusted to maintain EtCO₂ between 30-40 mmHg. One-lung ventilation was established using an Arndt bronchial blocker under fiberoptic guidance. Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane in an oxygen-air mixture to maintain a bispectral index between 40 and 60. Additional fentanyl (1 µg/kg) was administered when heart rate or blood pressure increased by more than 20% from baseline values despite adequate anesthetic depth. At the end of surgery, all patients received intravenous paracetamol (15 mg/kg). Postoperative pain was assessed using the Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R) at rest and during movement. Multimodal analgesia included paracetamol every 6 hours and continuous infusion of 0.125% levobupivacaine via catheter. If FPS-R scores were ≥4, a bolus dose of levobupivacaine was administered through the catheter. Intravenous morphine (0.05 mg/kg) was used as rescue analgesia when pain remained uncontrolled