Paravertebral Block Versus Thoracic Epidural Analgesia

Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) is the basic method of analgesia in patients undergoing pulmonary lobectomy. TEA is considered to be a safe and thoroughly investigated method of pain relief that rarely causes serious complications. However, blocking the nerves as they emerge from the spinal column (paravertebral block, PVB) may represent an alternative method with some potential benefits. In this study, TEA and PVB will be compared for patients undergoing pulmonary lobectomy by video assisted thoracoscopic surgery. The aim of the study is to test the hypothesis, that PVB is a time-saving procedure compared with TEA on the day of surgery and that PVB is as efficient in postoperative pain reduction as TEA.