Comparison of Serratus Intercostal Plane Blcok With Erector Spinae Plane Block for Open Nephrectomy

Effective postoperative pain management following open nephrectomy remains a significant clinical challenge. Inadequate pain control after this procedure may lead to impaired respiratory function, delayed mobilization, prolonged hospital stay, increased opioid consumption, and a higher incidence of postoperative complications. Therefore, optimizing postoperative analgesia while minimizing opioid-related adverse effects is a key objective in perioperative care for patients undergoing open nephrectomy Traditionally, postoperative pain following open nephrectomy has been managed using systemic opioids, epidural analgesia, or paravertebral blocks. Ultrasound-guided fascial plane blocks have emerged as valuable alternatives in modern regional anesthesia due to their simplicity, safety profile, and effectiveness. Among these techniques, the erector spinae plane (ESP) block has gained widespread popularity. This block has been shown to provide effective analgesia for thoracic, abdominal, and urologic surgeries, including nephrectomy The ultrasound-guided serratus intercostal plane block (SIPB) is a more recently described regional anesthetic technique targeting the lateral cutaneous branches of the intercostal nerves by injecting local anesthetic between the serratus anterior muscle and the intercostal muscles or ribs By blocking these nerves, SIPB provides analgesia to the lateral thoracic wall and upper abdominal regions, which are particularly relevant to flank incisions used in open nephrectomy. Patients will be randomly allocated into two equal groups. Patients in group (S) will receive serratus intercostal plane block and those in group (E) will receive Erector spinae plane block . Both of these blocks will be performed after induction of general anaesthesia by an experienced anaesthesiologist The aim of this study is to to compare the analgesic efficacy of ultrasound-guided serratus intercostal plane block and erector spinae plane block in patients undergoing open nephrectomy.