Turn on cookies to sign in
Signing in saves your progress to your Curie account. We can only do that with cookies on — turn them on to continue.
A nerve block that curbs post-op opioids: A small randomized trial found that patients who received an erector spinae plane (ESP) block before minimally invasive lumbar spine fusion used significantly fewer opioids on the day of surgery compared to those who got standard local anesthesia. Researchers say the technique could make early recovery smoother and support faster discharge — a win for both patients and ERAS pathways.
A new study out of Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) suggests that a regional anesthesia technique called the erector spinae plane (ESP) block could meaningfully reduce opioid consumption in patients recovering from minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS TLIF). The findings were presented at the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Annual Forum.
In the randomized trial, 48 patients were split evenly between receiving an ESP block or standard local infiltration anesthesia. Those in the ESP block group used significantly fewer opioids on postoperative day 0 — the critical window right after waking from surgery. Researchers noted that while secondary outcomes like length of stay didn't differ significantly, the study was likely underpowered to detect those effects.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: With opioid overuse remaining a major concern in surgical settings, finding reliable, procedure-specific pain management strategies is crucial. The ESP block could become a standard tool in spine surgery recovery protocols, helping patients get moving sooner and go home faster.
