Randomized single blind trial to compare the short term post-operative outcome and cost analysis of laparoscopic versus ultrasound guided transversus abdominis plane block in patients undergoing bariatric surgery.

introductionLaparoscopic Bariatric surgery despite being minimally invasive can cause moderate to severe pain in the immediate postoperative period. Adequate pain management remains a major challenge. Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) block is a regional anesthesia technique which blocks the sensory nerve supply of anterior-lateral abdominal wall. AIMS AND

objectivesPrimary: evaluate Laparoscopic versus ultrasound (USG)-guided TAP block on immediate post-operative analgesia after undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Secondary: compare cost effectiveness of Laparoscopic versus ultrasound-guided TAP block after undergoing bariatric surgery. MATERIALS AND

methodsRandomized Single blind study undertaken after sample size was calculated by (N) = 2(Z

resultsGroup I (N = 61 53F/8 M) & Group II (N = 60 42F/18 M) were demographically comparable. Group I (3.58 ± 0.67) had significantly lower procedure time compared to Group II (12.47 ± 1.61) (p-Value < 0.001). First rescue analgesia was administered at 7.07 ± 2.61 h in Group I vs 7.21 ± 2.39 h in Group II (p-Value 0.659). In first 24 h rescue analgesic dose requirement in Group I was 1.29 ± 0.53 vs 1.39 ± 0.50 in Group II (p-Value 0.487). VAS scores during rest and movement till 24 h post-operative were statistically similar. Procedural cost was more in group II.

conclusionLaparoscopic-guided TAP block is a safe and cost-effective approach for postoperative pain management after bariatric surgery and provides similar comparable analgesic effect as the USG-TAP block. Laparoscopic TAP is a surgeon delivered, easy to administer and significantly less time-consuming procedure which is feasible even when an ultrasound machine is not available.