Efficacy of the Thoracolumbar Interfascial Plane Block for Lumbar Laminoplasty: A Retrospective Study

STUDY DESIGN: This paper was a single center-based retrospective study with prospective data collection. PURPOSE: Compared with other surgeries, limited options are available for perioperative pain management in spinal surgery. Therefore, we aimed to identify new pain management in this study. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: The thoracolumbar interfascial plane (TLIP) block has been reported to provide effective regional analgesia in the lumbar region. This study investigated the efficacy of the TLIP block for pain management in lumbar laminoplasty. METHODS: We investigated patients who underwent lumbar laminoplasty for the treatment of lumbar spinal canal stenosis from April to October 2015. Patients with secondary surgery or surgery involving more than four intervertebral spaces were excluded. The primary outcome measure was the pain scale score within 48 hours after the surgery. The secondary outcomes were the number of additional analgesic drugs used and the number of patients complaining of complications, such as nausea and vomiting, within 24 hours after the surgery. RESULTS: We retrospectively assessed the data of 44 patients who underwent lumbar laminoplasty. Of these, 25 patients received only general anesthesia (G group), whereas 19 patients received the TLIP block along with general anesthesia (T group). Compared with the G group, the T group reported lower pain scores for pain at 1, 2, 4, and 24 hours postoperatively. Moreover, the number of patients who received the additional analgesic pentazocine was lower in the T group than in the G group. The two groups showed no significant differences in the incidence of complications. CONCLUSIONS: The TLIP block provides effective analgesia for 24 hours postoperatively in patients undergoing lumbar laminoplasty.