A 64-year-old male (46 kg, 152 cm) presented with postthoracotomy pain syndrome 1 year after undergoing right bilobectomy. He had severe pain (9/10 on NRS) over the anterior and posterior right chest area and described it as burning, tingling, and current-like sensation around the thoracotomy scar at the T8-T9 level. Despite the high dosage of oral analgesics, he experienced significant pain. A right ESP block with 20 mL of 0.375% ropivacaine and 40 mg of triamcinolone was performed at the T8 level. Following the injection, pain was relieved in few minutes (0 on 10 on NRS) with sensory blockade from T5 to T12 on the right side. NRS score was noted for 24 h []. The patient was discharged with oral medications tapered. The patient remained pain-free for 1.5 months without consumption of any other oral analgesic. A second ESP block was performed with 20 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine and 40 mg triamcinolone which again produced significant analgesia lasting 2 weeks.
A 68-year-old female patient (161 cm, 50 kg) with a 21-mm large mass in the upper pole of the right kidney was scheduled for RAPN peritoneal approach. The anesthetic method and block were similar to those in case 1.\nThe operative and anesthetic times were 271 and 326 min, respectively. The patient intraoperatively received intravenous fentanyl 200 μg and acetaminophen 750 mg. The surgical procedure was different from that of case 1 with respect to the placement of a single and surgery time extension. Postoperative pain was managed in the ward using continuous intravenous infusion of 25 μg/h fentanyl combined with 25 μg fentanyl for IV-PCA with 10-min lockout.\nA pinprick test performed at 2 h after surgery revealed that the anesthetized dermatomal range was Th7–Th12. The NRS scores were 3-0-0-0/10 at rest and 5-1-1-3/10 on movement at 2, 12, 24, and 48 h after surgery, respectively. Acetaminophen was administered once at POD 0. IV-PCA was stopped at 67 post-surgery hours. The total fentanyl amount post-operatively used was 2425 μg. She was discharged without adverse events at 7 days after surgery.