{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T05:42:35Z","timestamp":1759988555298,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1759968000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:p>The erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is a regional anesthesia technique increasingly used in recent years for postoperative analgesia in thoracic, abdominal, spinal, and hip surgeries. The adoption of this method has been encouraged by its technical simplicity and a low rate of complications. To date, no case reports have described transient urinary retention following lumbar ESPB. Here, we present the case of a 64-year-old male admitted after a fall that resulted in a right hip fracture. He had previously undergone L5\/S1 posterior lumbar interbody fusion, which was unsuccessful, resulting in failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). To alleviate preoperative lumbosacral pain, bilateral ultrasound-guided ESPB was performed at the L5 transverse process level at the bedside, with 20\u202fmL of 0.2% ropivacaine administered on each side. The procedure was uneventful. Approximately 1\u202fh after the block, the patient experienced a strong urge to void but was unable to urinate. Bedside bladder ultrasonography revealed marked bladder distension, and catheterization yielded 700\u202fmL of urine. By the following morning, with the return of lumbosacral pain sensation, the patient regained spontaneous voiding without other neurological deficits. No recurrence occurred until discharge. This case suggests that in patients with a history of spinal surgery and altered paraspinal anatomy, ESPB may result in unintended blockade due to aberrant spread of local anesthetic into the epidural space. Consequently, a comprehensive preprocedural assessment of spinal anatomy and improved postoperative monitoring of lumbosacral plexus function are advised to ensure early detection and management of this rare complication.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2025.1683055","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T05:27:44Z","timestamp":1759987664000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["First report of transient urinary retention after bilateral lumbar ESPB in a patient with FBSS: a case report"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Jianzhong","family":"Li","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Afeng","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tiankun","family":"Shu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jun","family":"Qiao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lei","family":"Duan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"621","DOI":"10.1097\/AAP.0000000000000451","article-title":"The erector spinae plane block: a novel analgesic technique in thoracic neuropathic pain","volume":"41","author":"Forero","year":"2016","journal-title":"Reg Anesth Pain Med"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3047","DOI":"10.2147\/JPR.S468560","article-title":"The analgesic mechanism and recent clinical application of erector spinae plane block: a narrative review","volume":"17","author":"Yang","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Pain Res"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"445","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bja.2022.05.013","article-title":"Ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block improves analgesia after laparoscopic hepatectomy: a randomised controlled trial","volume":"129","author":"Huang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Br J Anaesth"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1367","DOI":"10.1177\/21925682241266518","article-title":"Erector spinae plane block versus thoracolumbar Interfascial plane block in lumbar spine surgery: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","volume":"15","author":"Khor","year":"2025","journal-title":"Glob Spine J"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1016\/j.arthro.2021.09.012","article-title":"The erector spinae plane block in the setting of hip arthroscopy: a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial","volume":"38","author":"Zimmerer","year":"2022","journal-title":"Arthroscopy"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"665","DOI":"10.1097\/ALN.0000000000002733","article-title":"Harlequin syndrome associated with erector spinae plane block","volume":"131","author":"Sullivan","year":"2019","journal-title":"Anesthesiology"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"796.e3","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajem.2019.01.012","article-title":"Priapism following erector spinae plane block for the treatment of a complex regional pain syndrome","volume":"37","author":"Elkoundi","year":"2019","journal-title":"Am J Emerg Med"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1097\/AAP.0000000000000847","article-title":"Pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block for hip fracture","volume":"43","author":"Gir\u00f3n-Arango","year":"2018","journal-title":"Reg Anesth Pain Med"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"487","DOI":"10.3344\/kjp.2021.34.4.487","article-title":"Erector spinae plane block for spinal surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"34","author":"Liang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Korean J Pain"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"110647","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclinane.2022.110647","article-title":"Analgesic efficacy of erector spinae plane block in lumbar spine surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"78","author":"Oh","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Clin Anesth"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"110063","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclinane.2020.110063","article-title":"Erector spinae plane block: a narrative review with systematic analysis of the evidence pertaining to clinical indications and alternative truncal blocks","volume":"68","author":"Saadawi","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Clin Anesth"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"478","DOI":"10.1136\/rapm-2023-104587","article-title":"Continuous erector spinae plane catheters leading to unwanted neuraxial spread after spinal fusion surgery: a report of two cases from a terminated prospective randomized clinical trial","volume":"48","author":"Amoroso","year":"2023","journal-title":"Reg Anesth Pain Med"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"387","DOI":"10.1007\/s12630-020-01875-2","article-title":"Mechanisms of action of the erector spinae plane (ESP) block: a narrative review","volume":"68","author":"Chin","year":"2021","journal-title":"Can J Anaesth"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"111304","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclinane.2023.111304","article-title":"Anatomical insights into injectate spread after thoracic erector spinae plane block: a systematic review","volume":"92","author":"Lim","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Clin Anesth"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1802","DOI":"10.1016\/j.spinee.2021.05.009","article-title":"Risk factors for postoperative urinary retention following elective spine surgery: a meta-analysis","volume":"21","author":"Chang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Spine J"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"769","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare12070769","article-title":"The safety of peripheral nerve blocks: the role of triple monitoring in regional anaesthesia, a comprehensive review","volume":"12","author":"Pa\u015bnicki","year":"2024","journal-title":"Healthcare (Basel)"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in 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