Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences
Abstract
Background/aim: Effective postoperative pain management after cesarean section is essential for maternal recovery. Poor pain control can lead to complications, including postpartum depression. This study aimed to compare the postoperative analgesic efficacy of erector spinae plane (ESP) and transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks following cesarean section, with a particular focus on their potential impact on postpartum depression.
Materials and methods: Sixty patients were randomly assigned to receive either an ESP block (Group E, n = 30) or a TAP block (Group T, n = 30) after cesarean section. Pain severity was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS), and the need for rescue analgesics and patient satisfaction were recorded. Postpartum depression was evaluated using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) at 4–6 weeks postpartum.
Results: There was no significant difference between the groups in analgesic duration (Group E: 15 h, Group T: 14 h, p = 0.314). Group E showed a significantly lower need for rescue analgesics (0 vs. 1, p = 0.049). The VAS score at the first hour was lower in Group E (2 vs. 3, p = 0.032), but no differences were observed at subsequent time points. Postpartum depression rates were not statistically significant.
Conclusion: With the ESP block, no significant difference was observed compared to the TAP block in terms of total analgesic duration, opioid consumption, postpartum depression, or patient satisfaction, except for the postoperative 1-h VAS pain score. This suggests that the ESP block does not provide clear superiority over the TAP block.
Author ORCID Identifier
HİLAL BİRADLI: 0000-0002-3994-7862
FEYZA ÇALIŞIR: 0000-0002-8882-4666
ALEV ÖZER: 0000-0002-0934-0226
DOI
10.55730/1300-0144.6155
Keywords
Cesarean section, erector spinae plane block, obstetrical anesthesia, postoperative pain, postpartum depression, transversus abdominis plane block
First Page
218
Last Page
228
Publisher
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK)
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
BİRADLI, H, ÇALIŞIR, F, & ÖZER, A (2026). Effects of transversus abdominis and erector spinae plane blocks on postoperative pain control and postpartum depression after cesarean section: a randomized prospective study. Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences 56 (1): 218-228. https://doi.org/10.55730/1300-0144.6155
