Erector spinae plane block for laparoscopic surgeries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is a novel analgesic technique that can reduce post-operative pain and postoperative opioid consumption in laparoscopic surgeries. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science on November 17th, 2023 for clinical trials comparing ESPB with other analgesic techniques or placebo for laparoscopic surgeries. We meta-analyzed post-operative pain at rest, postoperative opioid consumption, time to first rescue analgesic request, and postoperative nausea and vomiting using a random effects model. RESULTS: ESPB significantly reduced opioid consumption compared to placebo (SMD, (95CI), p-value; -1.837, (-2.331, -1.343), < 0.001) and also compared to transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB) (SMD, (95CI), p-value; -1.351, (-1.815, -0.887), < 0.001) but not quadratus lumborum plane block (QLB) (SMD, (95CI), p-value; 0.022, (-0.241, 0.286), 0.869). ESPB also significantly reduced participant-reported pain scores at rest at 24h post-operation compared to placebo (SMD, (95CI), p-value; -0.612, (-0.797, -0.428), < 0.001) and TAPB (SMD, (95CI), p-value; -0.465, (-0.767, -0.162), < 0.001), however, there was a significant increase in pain score compared to QLB (SMD, (95CI), p-value; 1.025, 0.156, 1.894), 0.021). A statistically significant increase in time to first rescue analgesic in ESPB groups compared to placebo and TAPB groups was observed in our meta-analysis. There was a lower post-operative nausea and vomiting rate in the ESPB groups compared to placebo groups, yet a comparable rate with QLB and TAPB groups was observed in the meta-analysis. CONCLUSION: ESPB is an effective and safe analgesic technique for managing post-operative pain and opioid consumption in laparoscopic surgeries compared to placebo, reducing postoperative nausea or vomiting as well. Compared to other techniques, ESPB has a similar efficacy to QLB, except for the pain score at 24 h post-operation, but appears to be superior to TAPB as an analgesic technique in laparoscopic surgeries, with a similar safety profile. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Prospero registration ID: CRD42024508363. Link: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#recordDetails.