Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38336375›Full record

ArticleRegional anesthesia and pain medicine2025

Paravertebral and erector spinae plane blocks decrease length of stay compared with local infiltration analgesia in autologous breast reconstruction.

Haripriya S Ayyala, Melissa Assel, Joseph Aloise, Joanna Serafin, Kay See Tan, Meghana Mehta, Vinay Puttanniah, Patrick McCormick, Vivek Malhotra, Andrew Vickers and 2 more

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Regional anesthesia and pain medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Haripriya S AyyalaDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Melissa AsselDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA.
Joseph AloiseDepartment of Operational Excellence, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA.
Joanna SerafinDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA.
Kay See TanDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA.
Meghana MehtaDigital Informatics & Technology Solutions Department, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA.
Vinay PuttanniahDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA.
Patrick McCormickDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7062-2409
Vivek MalhotraDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA.
Andrew VickersDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA.
Evan MatrosDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA.
Emily LinDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA line@mskcc.org.ORCID 0009-0004-9765-0946

Funding

X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHYP30CA008748 · NCI · SLOAN-KETTERING INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RES · PI Hongbiao Carl Lekaye · 1985 to 2026
$347.4M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA008748
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAutologous breast reconstruction is associated with significant pain impeding early recovery. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of replacing surgeon-administered local infiltration with preoperative paravertebral (PVB) and erector spinae plane (ESP) blocks for latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap reconstruction.

methodsPatients who underwent mastectomy with latissimus flap reconstruction from 2018 to 2022 were included in three groups: local infiltration, PVB, and ESP blocks. Block effect on postoperative length of stay (LOS) and the association between block status and pain, opioid consumption, time to first analgesic, and postoperative antiemetic administration were assessed.

results122 patients met the inclusion criteria for this retrospective cohort study: no block (n=72), PVB (n=26), and ESP (n=24). On adjusted analysis, those who received a PVB block had a 20-hour shorter postoperative stay (95% CI 11 to 30; p<0.001); those who received ESP had a 24-hour (95% CI 15 to 34; p<0.001) shorter postoperative stay compared with the no block group, respectively. Using either block was associated with a reduction in intraoperative opioids (23 morphine milligram equivalents (MME)), 95% CI 14 to 31, p<0.001; ESP versus no block: 23 MME, 95% CI 14 to 32, p<0.001).

conclusionsReplacing surgical infiltration with PVB and ESP blocks for autologous breast reconstruction reduces LOS. The comparable reduction in LOS suggests that ESP may be a viable alternative to PVB in patients undergoing latissimus flap breast reconstruction following mastectomy. Further research should investigate whether ESP or PVB have better patient outcomes in complex breast reconstruction.

Indexed as

Anesthesia, LocalLength of StayMammaplastyNerve BlockPostoperative PainAdultAgedAnalgesics, OpioidAnesthetics, LocalFemaleHumansMastectomyMiddle AgedParaspinal MusclesRetrospective StudiesSuperficial Back MusclesAnalgesics, OpioidAnesthetics, LocalAcute PainanalgesiaAnesthesia, LocalNerve BlockPain Management

Identifiers

PMID38336375
PMCPMC11306410

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.