Effect of Ultrasound-Guided External Oblique Intercostal Fascial Plane Block in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Otoplasty With Rib Cartilage Graft

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate the effect of an ultrasound-guided external oblique intercostal (EOI) fascial plane block on pain control and recovery in children aged 13 to 18 years undergoing otoplasty with a rib cartilage graft under general anesthesia. The study compares the EOI block to no block in managing postoperative pain, focusing on total opioid use within 24 hours after surgery as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include pain scores, breathing exercise performance, lung complications, and patient satisfaction. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will receive the EOI block using 0.2% ropivacaine injected at the 8th-9th intercostal space under ultrasound guidance at the end of surgery. The other group will not receive the block but will have the same general anesthesia and postoperative pain management with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia using fentanyl. The study involves a triple-blind randomized controlled design. During the study, participants will be monitored for opioid consumption, pain intensity at rest and during deep breathing, non-opioid analgesic use, satisfaction with pain control, and adverse events up to 24 hours after surgery. Additional assessments include incentive spirometry performance shortly after recovery, incidence of postoperative atelectasis, sensory block distribution, and sleep quality on the night of surgery. The total participation period covers the immediate postoperative phase up to 24 hours.

EOI Block in Otoplasty With Rib Cartilage Graft