Objective To explore the effects of ultrasound-guided continuous paravertebral nerve block（PVNB）on displacement analgesia

stress and inflammatory factors in elderly patients undergoing thoracotomy for esophageal cancer.Methods Ninety patients with esophageal cancer underwent thoracotomy under general anesthesia in our hospital were selected.Among them

45 patients underwent preoperative ultrasound-guided PVNB anesthesia combined with general anesthesia（PVNB group）

and the rest 45 patients received general anesthesia（control group）.Patients of both groups were treated with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia after surgery.The visual analogue pain score（VAS）during the resting state and cough state at 2 h

6 h

24 h and 48 h after surgery

the dosage of analgesic drugs and the occurrence of adverse drug reactions were compared between the two groups.The level of NE

E

Cor

IL-6

IL-10

TNF-αin serum before and 24 h after surgery

and the occurrence of postoperative lung infections were compared between the two groups.ResultsThe VAS of the PVNB group was significantly lower than that of the control group in the resting state and cough state at 2 h

6 h

and 12 h after the operation（all P<0.05）.The usage of postoperative analgesic pump and the amount of sufentanil were significantly lower than those of the control group（both P<0.05）.There were no significant difference in the level of NE

E

Cor

IL-6

IL-10

and TNF-αin serum between the two groups before surgery.The levels of NE

E

Cor

IL-6

and TNF-αin serum of PVNB group were significantly lower than those of control group24 h after surgery（P<0.05）.The level of IL-10 of PVNB group was higher than that of the control group

but there was no significant difference.Two cases of pulmonary infections were found in the PVNB group

6 cases in the control group

and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant（4.4%vs.13.3%

P<0.05）.Conclusion Ultrasound-guided PVNB can improve postoperative analgesia

reduce the stress response caused by surgical trauma

and reduce the incidence of postoperative lung infections in elderly patients with esophageal cancer after thoracotomy.