DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2016.v04i09.069

Pages: 3506-3509

Patients who undergo infraumbilical surgeries may feel significant postoperative pain after surgery. Recently the transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is ideal and widely used approach to provide adequate post-operative analgesia to the anterior abdominal wall. We evaluated the analgesic efficacy of the transversus abdominis plane block using L- bupivacaine in patients undergoing infraumbilical surgery. Sixty patients posted for elective infraumbilical surgeries were randomized to undergo TAP block with L-bupivacaine (n=30) versus placebo (n=30). All patients received spinal subarachnoid block. After completion of surgery bilateral TAP block (ultrasound guided) was performed suing 1 mg/kg L-bupivacaine (to a maximal dose of 100 mg) or saline on each side. Each patient in both groups was assessed postoperatively by a blinded investigator in the postanesthesia care unit at 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 h postoperatively. The transversus abdominis plane block using L-bupivacaine decreased the postoperative visual analog scale pain scores in comparison to placebo block. The incidence of sedation was less in patients undergoing transversus abdominis plane block. Amount of rescue analgesia required and incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was found less with transversus abdominis plane block. Post operative transversus abdominis plane block decreased post-operative tramadol requirements and provided effective postoperative analgesia.