This study aims to evaluate the effect of the erector spinae plane block (ESPB), performed after surgery, on quality of recovery, postoperative pain, and time to return to daily activities in patients undergoing open inguinal hernia repair under spinal anesthesia.
Postoperative pain following inguinal hernia surgery may delay recovery and negatively affect patients' return to normal daily life. Although ESPB has been widely used as an effective analgesic technique in various surgical procedures, its effectiveness in inguinal hernia repair remains limited and not well established.
In this randomized controlled study, patients will be divided into two groups: one group will receive ESPB after surgery, while the control group will not receive any block. All patients will receive standard postoperative analgesia.
Quality of recovery, acute pain scores, and analgesic consumption will be assessed within the first 24 hours after surgery, and return to daily activities will be evaluated 30 days after surgery.
The primary outcome of this study is quality of recovery assessed using the Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) questionnaire. QoR-15 scores range from 0 to 150, with higher scores indicating better recovery. Scores will be recorded preoperatively and 24 hours after surgery.
Secondary outcomes include postoperative pain intensity, total opioid consumption, and time to return to daily activities. Pain intensity will be assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst pain imaginable, at 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes, as well as 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery.
Total opioid consumption will be determined by recording the cumulative dose of intravenous tramadol administered as rescue analgesia within the first 24 hours after surgery. Time to return to daily activities will be evaluated via telephone follow-up 30 days after surgery.
Patients aged between 18 and 65 years
Patients scheduled to undergo open IHT surgery under spinal anesthesia (unilateral)
Both male and female patients
Patients with coagulation disorders
Patients with chronic opioid use
Patients who develop intraoperative complications
Patients with a preoperative Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain score ≥4
Parallel
Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB) group
Procedure/SurgeryUltrasound-guided erector spinae plane block will be performed at the T11-T12 level using 30 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine at the end of surgery.
Quality of Recovery
The Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) is a validated questionnaire assessing postoperative recovery. The total score ranges from 0 to 150, with higher scores indicating better quality of recovery.
Postoperative Acute Pain Scores
Pain intensity will be assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst pain imaginable.
Total Opioid Consumption
Total opioid consumption will be calculated based on the cumulative dose of intravenous tramadol administered as rescue analgesia during the first 24 hours postoperatively.
Time to return to daily activities
Time to return to daily activities will be evaluated through a telephone follow-up conducted on postoperative day 30. Return to daily life was defined as the time point at which patients were able to perform basic daily activities independently without significant limitation due to postoperative pain, regardless of return to work.
Duration of spinal anesthesia
Duration of spinal anesthesia will be defined as the time from intrathecal injection to regression of sensory block.
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