Analgesic Non Inferiority of the Thoracic Bi-block in Comparison With Thoracic Epidural for VATS.

Video-Assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is the standard treatment for localized lung cancer. However, there is no consensus on analgesic management in patients undergoing VATS. The aim of the study is to compare the analgesic efficacy of thoracic epidural with that a "Bi-block" combining an Erector Spinae muscle plane Block (ESP) and a Serratus Anterior Block (SAP) in patients undergoing VATS for lung or pleural surgery. Our main hypothesis is that the analgesic efficacy of the Bi-block, assessed by morphine consumption, is not inferior to that provided by a thoracic epidural during the first 48 hours after VATS. We conducted a age, gender and type of surgery-matched retrospective cohort study in the Department of Thoracic Anesthesia of the Montpellier University Hospital (France).