Introduction: ESP (Erector spinae plane) block is a relatively novel block first reported in 2016. While it has found many uses, its role in scoliosis corrective surgery is not well described. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate its efficacy and safety in patients undergoing scoliosis corrective surgery.

Method: This retrospective cohort study consists of patients who underwent instrumented scoliosis corrective surgery at a single tertiary center. Patients were classified into those who received an ESP block and those who did not - control group. Primary outcomes recorded are postoperative pain scores and total opioid consumption while hospitalized. Secondary outcomes include time to first ambulation, incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, and block-related complications.

Results: A total of 77 patients were included in this study. Multivariate analysis confirmed that the ESP block was associated with an independent benefit on pain control and opioid reduction. It was noted that total opioid dosing was reduced by 22% in the ESP block group. The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was lower as well in the ESP block group, likely attributed to lower opioid consumption. However, there was no significant difference in time to ambulation between both groups. No complications related to the ESP block were observed in this study.

Conclusion: ESP block is safe and effective for postoperative pain control in scoliosis corrective surgery, providing opioid-sparing benefits. These findings support the inclusion of ESP block as part of a multimodal analgesic strategy. Even so, further prospective/ randomized controlled trials should be done to further substantiate and corroborate the findings in our study.