Comparison of Analgesic Efficacy of Sacral erectOR Spinae Plane Block and Caudal Block in Patients Undergoing Hypospadias Surgery

This study will be conducted as a prospective, randomized controlled trial at a single center between December 2022 and December 2023. Sixty pediatric participants, aged 6 months to 7 years, classified as ASA I-II, who are scheduled for hypospadias surgery, will be included. Participants will be randomized into two groups: ESP block group and caudal block group, with 30 participants in each group. Randomization will be done using a sealed envelope technique based on computer-generated random numbers..

The study was planned to be performed as a double blind. Sacral ESP and caudal block will be administered by an anesthesiologist not responsible for the perioperative and postoperative management of the participants. A second anesthesiologist, who will be in charge of monitoring and data recording, will be unaware of the participants' group assignments. Additionally, parents, surgeons, and other personnel involved in the data collection process will be unaware of the group to which the child is assigned. Surgeons will not be present in the operating room while the anesthesiologist administers the block (sacral ESP block or caudal block). All participants will undergo aseptic skin preparation using Betadine. Since bandages will be applied to two points, the actual injection site will not be known.

The age, height, weight, gender and ASA scores of the participants in both groups will be recorded.

After the participants are taken to the operation table, standard monitoring will be performed. Heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), body temperature, peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) will be monitored and all parameters before surgical incision, after surgical incision, before awakening, postoperative 5 and 30 minutes will be recorded.

All participants will be placed in an IV cannula using 8% sevoflurane in 50/50 O2 / air for 2 - 4 minutes with a face mask, followed by induction of inhaled anesthesia. All participants will be placed in I-gel (supraglottic airway vehicle) by performing routine induction of general anesthesia with propofol 2-3 mg kg-1, fentanyl 1 mcg kg-1. Participants will have mechanical ventilatory support and tidal volume will be set to 8- 10 ml/kg and minute breathing will be set to 16-26. The end tidal carbon dioxide will be kept between 35-40 mmHg. Anesthesia maintenance will be provided with a starting dose of sevoflurane 2% and IV remifentanil 0.05 mcg kg-1 min-1 with a flow of 3 Lt min-1, an Oxygen/air mixture. >20% increase in intraoperative heart rate will be evaluated as pain and remifentanil dose will be increased and the need for remifentanil used intraoperatively will be recorded.