Abstract:Objective To compared the effect of thoracic paravertebral block versus epidural block on analgesia and immunity in patients undergoing non-intubated video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy. Methods A total of 120 patients who underwent non-intubated VATS lobectomy were recruited, with the age between 35 and 68 years, BMI between 20.5 and 25.8 kg/m2, falling into ASA physical status I or II. The patients were randomly divided into thoracic paravertebral block (TPB) group, thoracic epidural block (TEB) group and general anesthesia (GA) group by random number table method, with each group of 40 participants. Additional information on fentanyl, VAS score, cellular and humoral immune function among these three groups were compared. Results Compared with TEB group, VAS score at 48 h after surgery in TPB group were significantly decreased (P?0.05). There were no statistical differences in VAS score at 1 h, 2 h, 6 h,12 h and 24 h after surgery between TPB and TEB group (P?>?0.05). However, VAS score at 1 h, 2 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h after surgery in TPB and TEB group was both lower than that in the GA group (P?0.05). Compared with TEB or GA group, CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ at 1 d and 3 d after surgery in TPB group were both increased (P?0.05). There were no significant differences in CD19+, CD3-CD16+CD56+, IgG, IgM and IgA at 1 d and 3 d after the surgery among the three groups (P?>?0.05). Incidence of hypotension in TPB group was lower than that in TEB group (P?0.05). Conclusions For non-intubated VATS lobectomy, TPB and TEB can both provide effective analgesia during surgery, but the postoperative analgetic effect of TPB is more durable. Meanwhile, TPB would attenuate the inhibition of T lymphocyte function after surgery.