Continuous Erector Spinae Plane Catheter for Analgesia After Infant Thoracotomy: A Case Report

The erector spinae plane block is an emerging technique for the provision of thoracolumbar analgesia with reported pediatric applications. We describe the placement of a continuous erector spinae plane catheter at the T5-T6 level in a 7-month-old infant who was undergoing thoracotomy for left upper lobectomy due to congenital pulmonary airway malformation. This technique resulted in outstanding analgesia without the need for opioid rescue analgesia. This block has a low degree of technical difficulty and is placed in area devoid of nearby critical structures and could be used in a number of potentially painful interventions.