title: [Effect of postoperative analgesia by repeated transversus abdominis plane blocks via a placed catheter in patients undergoing ovarian cystectomy].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We evaluated the effect of repeated transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks on postoperative analgesia over the first 48 postoperative hours in the patients undergoing lower abdominal gynecological surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four patients undergoing ovarian cystectomy via a transverse lower abdominal wall incision were selected. All patients received general anesthesia. After the operation, bilateral TAP blocks were performed by ultrasound-guided access using 0.375% ropivacaine 15 ml, and a catheter was placed on the plane. Repeated TAP blocks were performed every 12 hours using 0.375% ropivacaine 15 ml until the second postoperative day. Each patient was assessed for the analgesic effect and complications at 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The postoperative visual analogue scale pain scores at rest and on movement were approximately under 20. The median frequency of additional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs until the second postoperative day was 0.5. We did not observe any complications such as nausea, vomiting and shivering in the postoperative period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that bilateral repeated TAP blocks via a placed catheter provide good analgesia without any complications in patients undergoing ovarian cystectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Saiseikai Nakatsu Hospital, Osaka 530-0012.
authors.forename: Yasuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Yuu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horiguchi
authors.forename: Kayo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Michiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tomioka
authors.forename: Chiharu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tokunaga
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwakura
mesh_terms: D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000294:innervation*; D000328:Adult; D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D057785:Catheters; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D010048:Ovarian Cysts / Q000601:surgery*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000628:therapy*