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Meta-Analysis
. 2021 Mar;49(3):300060521999568.
doi: 10.1177/0300060521999568.

Analgesic effects of erector spinae plane block for patients after breast surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Hui-Fang Li  1 , Qi-Hong Shen  2 , Xu-Yan Zhou  2 , Xu Shen  2
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Analgesic effects of erector spinae plane block for patients after breast surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Hui-Fang Li et al. J Int Med Res. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: This meta-analysis investigated the analgesic effects of erector spinae plane block (ESPB) in patients undergoing breast surgery.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched from database establishment to January 31, 2020. Two reviewers independently extracted the data. The primary outcomes were pain scores and opioid consumption during the first 24 hours after surgery. The risk of bias of the included studies was assessed according to the Cochrane Handbook.

Results: Six randomized controlled trials of 415 patients were included. Compared with the control value, the pain score was significantly lower in the ESPB group at different time points postoperatively. Patients who underwent ESPB required lower opioid consumption (standardized mean difference = -2.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -2.85 to -1.20, I2= 91%. The rates of postoperative nausea (risk ratio [RR] = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.48-1.30, I2 = 47%) and postoperative vomiting (RR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.30-1.96, I2 = 33%) did not differ between the groups. The quality of evidence was low or very low.

Conclusions: ESPB significantly alleviated pain and reduced opioid consumption after breast surgery. Further research is needed to expand its clinical application.PROSPERO registration number CRD42020167900.

Keywords: Erector spinae plane block; breast surgery; meta-analysis; opioid consumption; pain score; postoperative complications.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flow chart of study retrieval.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Risk of bias of the included studies.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Forest plot of the pooled analysis of the pain score at different time points during the postoperative period.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Forest plot of the pooled analysis of postoperative opioid consumption.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Forest plot of the pooled analysis of the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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