Serratus anterior plane block as a successful single anesthesia technique for thoracoscopy biopsy surgery: A case series

Thoracic surgery is one of the most common surgeries that causes severe postoperative pain. Inadequate pain management results in longer hospital stays and recovery periods, as well as psychological changes, quality of life, and patient satisfaction. Ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) is a promising interfascial plane block that may provide adequate analgesia. We report three cases of suspected lung cancer patients who underwent thoracoscopic biopsy and postoperative chest drainage. The patients underwent SAPB with light sedation during the procedure. After surgery, the patients were observed in the intensive care unit. For postoperative pain management, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were used as an adjunct to intraoperative SAPB. Adequate pain control was achieved on a numeric rating scale of 0 to 2 over the 1 × 24 postoperative period, and opioid analgesics were not used in these patients. SAPB was successfully used in patients undergoing thoracoscopy biopsy surgery, with excellent outcomes in pain control after the surgery, reduction in perioperative opioid administration, and decreased postoperative pulmonary complications.