Comparison between ESPB and Methadone for Prevention of Chronic Pain after Mastectomy

 

Chronic post-mastectomy pain is a frequent complication that significantly affects quality of life after breast cancer surgery. This retrospective observational study compared the incidence of chronic pain in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection who received either an erector spinae plane block (ESPB) or intraoperative methadone. Among 73 patients, chronic pain occurred in 7.5% of the ESPB group and 57.6% of the methadone group (p < 0.001). ESPB may represent an effective regional anesthesia strategy to prevent chronic post-mastectomy pain.