Ultrasound-Guided Anterior Quadratus Lumborum Block at Lateral Supra-Arcuate Ligament vs Thoracic Epidural Analgesia after Open Liver Surgery: A Randomized, Controlled, Noninferiority Trial

Application of ultrasound-guided anterior quadratus lumborum block approach at the lateral supra-arcuate ligament in elderly patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the anesthetic and analgesic effects of combining general anesthesia with an anterior quadratus lumborum block at the lateral supra-arcuate ligament (SA-AQLB) in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic radical resection for colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

In this prospective study, 92 elderly patients scheduled for radical CRC resection were randomly divided into three groups: ultrasound-guided SA-AQLB group (SA group, n=31), ultrasound-guided subcostal AQLB (SC-AQLB) group (SC group, n=31), and a general anesthesia-only group (GA group, n=30). Measurements included mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) at predefined time points, ranging from pre-operation to the end of surgery. Visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores were recorded at multiple postoperative time points up to 48 hours. Additional data collected included intraoperative drug dosages, anesthetic recovery times, patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) usage, Lovett muscle strength scores, and early postoperative recovery indicators.

RESULTS

The SA group consistently showed lower MAP and HR compared to the SC group, which in turn was lower than the GA group during the monitored time points (all P<0.05). Sensory block levels were significantly higher in the SA group than that in the SC group (P<0.05). Postoperative VAS scores were also significantly lower in the SA group compared to the other groups at all recorded times (all P<0.05). The SA group required lower doses of propofol, remifentanil, and sufentanil, but higher doses of ephedrine compared to the SC and GA groups (all P<0.05). Anesthesia recovery time was shorter in the SA group, and the total number of PCIA pump presses was least in the SA group (P<0.05). Early ambulation was achieved sooner in the SA and SC groups (P<0.05), and the incidence of nausea and vomiting was reduced in these groups compared to the GA group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

General anesthesia combined with ultrasound-guided SA-AQLB provides superior outcomes to general anesthesia alone in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic CRC surgery. This approach significantly reduces general anesthesia drug dosage, decreases postoperative pain, minimizes perioperative adverse events, and accelerates patient recovery.

Ultrasound-Guided Quadratus Lumborum Block at the Lateral Supra-Arcuate Ligament versus Subcostal Transversus Abdominis Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia Following Open Hepatectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose

Many studies confirmed that several approaches of quadratus lumborum block (QLB) were superior to transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB) in reducing opioid consumption during postoperative period. As a new QLB approach at the lateral supra-arcuate ligament (QLB-LSAL), the analgesic efficacy and safety in patients undergoing open hepatectomy are still unknown. This study aims to compare postoperative analgesia between the blocks in open hepatectomy.

Patients and Methods

Sixty-two patients undergoing open hepatectomy were enrolled and randomly allocated into the QLB-LSAL group (group Q) and the subcostal TAPB group (group T). Preoperatively, patients received ultrasound-guided bilateral QLB-LSAL or subcostal TAPB with injection of 0.5% ropivacaine (a total volume of 40 mL). The primary outcome was cumulative total morphine equivalent consumption in the first postoperative 24 h. Other outcomes included numerical rating scale (NRS) scores at rest and coughing, cumulative total morphine equivalent consumption at 2, 6, 12, 48 h, Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) scores, time to first patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) request, time to first ambulation and adverse effects.

Results

The cumulative total morphine equivalent consumption in group Q was decreased significantly at all postoperative time points (P < 0.01). The postoperative NRS scores at rest and coughing in group Q were lower than those in group T at all postoperative time points except 48 h (P < 0.05). A significant increase was also observed in the QoR-15 scores among patients in group Q. Time to first PCIA request was significantly prolonged in group Q than in group T, and time to first ambulation was shortened. Adverse effects showed no statistical significance between the two groups.

Conclusion

Compared with subcostal TAPB, preoperative bilateral QLB-LSAL provided superior analgesic properties and promoted early postoperative recovery quality in patients undergoing open hepatectomy.

Trial Registration

China Clinical Trials Registration Center (http://www.chictr.org.cn) ChiCTR2200063291, 3/9/2022.