Postoperative Analgesia in Patients Undergoing Open Upper Abdominal Surgeries: External Oblique Intercostal Plane Block vs. Quadratus Lumborum Block

Open upper abdominal surgeries with subcostal incisions are a cause of severe pain and can lead to pulmonary and cardiac complications, detrimental physiological effects, and may also have psychological, economic, and social adverse effects if inadequately treated. Effective pain control can avoid these complications and contribute to several clinically valuable outcomes, including earlier patient mobilization and quicker recovery, which can result in a shortened hospital stay and reduced costs. Opioids are the gold standard in postoperative pain control. however, it increases the incidence of opioid related adverse events such as respiratory depression, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and constipation. Regional analgesia plays an important role in perioperative multimodal analgesic regimens for major abdominal surgeries. The ultrasound-guided technique provides several options for relieving postoperative pain. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of ultrasound guided external oblique intercostal plane block versus quadratus lumborum in patients undergoing open upper abdominal surgeries.