BackgroundPain is a major limiting factor in patient’s recovery from major thoracic surgical procedures. Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA), the current gold standard of perioperative management, has contraindications, can technically fail, and carries a risk of complications such as epidural abscess and spinal hematoma. The ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane (SAP) block is a promising regional analgesia technique.ObjectivesSince the anatomic space involved in the SAP block corresponds to the area exposed by the surgeon during right posterolateral thoracotomy, we investigated the feasibility of a “surgically guided” continuous SAP block as an alternative to TEA in selected esophagectomy patients.Study designThis was a pilot case-series study.SettingThis study was carried out in a tertiary-care university hospital.MethodsThe demographic and clinical data of patients in whom the continuous SAP block was performed were retrieved from a prospectively maintained database of hybrid (laparoscopy plus right thoracotomy) Ivor Lewis esophagectomy. The SAP block was performed upon closure of the thoracotomy incision using a 19-gauge catheter tunnelized subcutaneously and positioned in the deep plane between the serratus anterior muscle and the ribs. A bolus dose of 30 mL of levobupivacaine 0.25% was injected, followed by a continuous infusion of the 0.125% solution at 7 mL/h until postoperative day 4.ResultsBetween January 2016 and July 2016, seven (20%) out of 37 esophagectomy patients underwent a SAP block rather than TEA for the following reasons: inability to insert the epidural catheter, antiaggregation or anticoagulant therapy, or unplanned thoracotomy. The procedure was uneventful in all patients. Only two patients required rescue analgesia on day 1.ConclusionContinuous SAP block under direct vision is feasible and safe. This novel “surgically guided” application of the SAP block may be useful in case of failure or contraindications to TEA.

Thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position is associated with better surgical ergonomics compared to the left lateral decubitus position due to the effects of gravity pooling blood outside the operative field and the reduced need for lung retraction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological effects of prone thoracoscopic esophagectomy with single-lumen intubation on ventilation, respiratory gas exchange, and cardiovascular parameters. Thirty-two consecutive patients underwent esophagectomy either through a prone thoracoscopic approach or through a right thoracotomic approach. Samples of arterial and central venous blood, as well as ventilation and cardiovascular parameters were obtained at baseline, during induction of anesthesia, throughout the operation, and after extubation. Patients undergoing prone thoracoscopic esophagectomy showed higher oxygenation levels (p < 0.001), and a significantly lower mean pulmonary shunt fraction (p = 0.001). Perioperative hemodynamics remained stable throughout the surgical procedures. Thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position with two-lung ventilation was associated with a significant improvement of global oxygen delivery and a significant reduction of the pulmonary shunt when compared to the Ivor Lewis operation.

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