General anesthesia combined with erector spinae plane block for ductus arteriosus closure: two case reports

BACKGROUND: Failure of ductus arteriosus closure in preterm neonates results in a left-to-right shunt that leads to variable severities of hemodynamic and respiratory distress. When medical therapy fails, surgical ligation via left lateral thoracotomy remains an alternative approach and can be performed in the operating room or at the bedside with a low mortality rate. Opioid-based anesthesia is a frequent choice among anesthesiologists who manage patent ductus arteriosus cases based on the suppression of the stress response and maintenance of hemodynamic stability. This rationale suggests that regional anesthesia may also be an advantageous technique and may benefit earlier weaning from ventilation. Blocking afferent signals before incision may also modulate the long-term consequences of altered sensory perception and pain responses. CASE REPORT: We present two cases of general anesthesia combined with erector spinae plane block as part of multimodal anesthesia in premature twins undergoing patent ductus arteriosus closure. DISCUSSION: In these cases, the use of erector spine plane block combined with general anesthesia was efficient to minimize the negative impact of surgery and allowed a reduction in the amount of intraoperative opioid use for patent ductus arteriosus closure.