Thoracic surgery with erector spinae plane block in a patient with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Abstract

The management of general anesthesia is very difficult in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) due to the potential for difficult airway problems, malignant hyperthermia, and cardiorespiratory complications. Therefore, peripheral nerve and plane blocks may be a good choice in DMD patients. In this case, we aimed to show the anesthetic efficiency of erector spinae plane (ESP) block in an 18-year-old male patient with DMD scheduled for video-assisted thoracoscopy surgery (VATS) exploration due to prolonged air leak. On surgery day, ultrasound (US)-guided one-sided ESP block (ESPB) was performed under sedation. Decortication surgery was performed in 3 hours. The patient’s intraoperative hemodynamic parameters were stable, and no pain or complications were recorded. The patients’ visual analog scale (VAS) scores were recorded at postoperative hour 0, 2, 6, and 12 as 0, 0, 2, and 2, respectively. In conclusion, safe and effective anesthesia can be provided by ESPB with US guidance in thoracic surgery.