Transversus abdominis plane block does not provide additional benefit to multimodal analgesia in gynecological cancer surgery.
BACKGROUND
The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a recently described technique involving injecting local anesthetic between the internal oblique and transversus abdominis layers of the abdominal wall. It has been shown to be effective in reducing morphine consumption and improving postoperative pain relief in several clinical settings.


METHODS
We performed a randomized placebo-controlled trial comparing bilateral ultrasound-guided TAP blocks (2 x 20 mL 0.5% ropivacaine or 0.9% saline) in adult female patients undergoing midline laparotomy for known or presumed gynecological malignancy. Both groups received multimodal IV analgesia. The primary outcomes for the study were defined as the incidence of "inadequate" analgesia (defined as a score >50 mm on a visual analog scale) with forced expiration at 2 hours postoperatively and total postoperative morphine consumption at 2 hours and 24 hours.


RESULTS
Data from 65 patients were included in the study. The groups were comparable in terms of age, weight, surgical duration, and intraoperative morphine doses. There were no significant differences between the control and treatment groups in the proportion of patients with inadequate analgesia either at rest (39% vs. 22%, P = 0.13) or with coughing (61% vs. 53%, P = 0.54) at 2 hours. There was no significant difference in postoperative morphine consumption between the placebo and treatment groups at 2 hours (13.5 mg vs. 11.87 mg, P = 0.53) or 24 hours (34.0 mg vs. 36.1 mg, P = 0.76). There were no significant differences in the incidence of opioid side effects or patient satisfaction.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrated that TAP blockade conferred no benefit in addition to multimodal analgesia in women undergoing major gynecological cancer surgery.
Griffiths
James D
JD
Department of Anaesthesia, Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia. james.griffiths@thewomens.org.a
Middle
Justine V
JV
Barron
Fiona A
FA
Grant
Sarah J
SJ
Popham
Phillip A
PA
Royse
Colin F
CF
D034861:Abdominal Wall / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000601:surgery*; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D007813:Laparotomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000779:Anesthetics, Local