Comparison of TLIP Block and QIP Block for Postoperative Analgesia After Lumbar Spine Surgery

Overview

This study compares two regional anesthesia techniques used for pain control after lumbar spine surgery: the classic thoracolumbar interfascial plane (TLIP) block and the quadratus lumborum-iliac plane (QIP) block. Patients between 18 and 65 years of age who undergo elective lumbar discectomy (up to two spinal levels) will be observed based on which block their treating anesthesiologist chooses to use as part of routine clinical practice. No randomization or additional intervention beyond standard care will be performed. Researchers will record the total amount of opioid pain medication used in the first 24 hours after surgery, the time until the first request for pain medication, pain scores at several time points after surgery (0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours), and any side effects (such as nausea, vomiting, or sedation) or complications related to the block. The aim is to compare the effectiveness and safety of these two techniques in reducing pain and opioid use after lumbar spine surgery.

Patients undergoing elective lumbar discectomy at up to two levels, ASA physical status I-II, aged 18-65 years, who receive either a classic TLIP block or a QIP block as part of routine clinical anesthesia practice will be included in this prospective observational study. The choice of block technique is determined solely by the treating anesthesiologist's routine practice, not by study allocation. Both blocks are performed under ultrasound guidance at the end of surgery, before emergence from anesthesia, using bilateral injections of 20 mL (40 mL total) of 0.25% bupivacaine. All patients receive standardized general anesthesia and a multimodal analgesic regimen (intravenous paracetamol, dexketoprofen, and tramadol as rescue analgesia for VAS ≥ 4). Outcomes recorded include total opioid consumption in the first 24 postoperative hours, time to first opioid request, VAS pain scores at PACU (0h), 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours, postoperative side effects (nausea, vomiting, pruritus, sedation, hypotension), and block-related complications (hematoma, local anesthetic systemic toxicity, infection).

Conditions