[Perioperative Pain Management of Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy with Bilateral Continuous Thoracic Paravertebral Block].

Minimally invasive esophagectomy has become popular as a surgical procedure for esophageal cancer. We describe bilateral continuous thoracic paravertebral blocks for perioperative pain management in 3 patients who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy. After anesthesia induction, bilateral thoracic paravertebral catheters were placed under ultrasound guidance with the patients in left lateral decubitus position at the sixth or seventh right intercostal space and eighth or ninth left intercostal space, respectively. Multiple ports for thoracoscopic procedures were located between the right third and ninth intercostal spaces. Laparoscopy-assisted gastric tube reconstruction was performed with skin incisions at bilateral T7-10 dermatomes. Intraoperative intermittent bolus injections of ropivacaine through the thoracic paravertebral catheters were used in combination with sevoflurane-remifentanil anesthesia, followed by continuous thoracic paravertebral infusion of ropivacaine for postoperative analgesia with continuous intravenous fentanyl infusion and periodical intravenous acetaminophen administration. Numerical rating scales of postoperative pain at rest and when coughing were 4 or less for 48 hr after surgery. No complications related to thoracic paravertebral catheterization were observed. Bilateral continuous thoracic paravertebral blocks at different intercostal levels can provide good perioperative analgesia for minimally invasive esophagectomy.