A randomized controlled study to compare effectiveness of Erector spinae plane block versus caudal block for postoperative analgesia in pediatric inguinal hernia surgery under general anesthesia

Inguinal herniotomy is a commonly performed day care procedure in pediatric patients and post operative analgesia is crucial for peri operative care. Failure to adequately control post operative pain can lead to negative behavioral changes and parental dissatisfaction.

Caudal block is the gold standard for pain management in children undergoing lower abdominal surgeries due to its enhanced reliability and safety profile. However a notable drawback of this technique is its limited duration of action following single injection. Thus several interfacial plane blocks have been suggested as alternatives for postoperative analgesia in children including quadratus lumborum block, transverse abdominis plane block,rectus sheath block and Erector spinae plane block

The USG guided Erector spinae plane block is gaining popularity in pediatrics due to its potential for managing post operative pain in various surgeries as it is relatively easy to perform with no complications.

We plan to conduct this double blind randomised controlled study to compare the effectiveness of Erector spinae plane block versus Caudal block for post-operative analgesia in children undergoing inguinal hernia repair.