Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41835012›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in anesthesiology2026

The role of the rectus sheath block in modern perioperative care for midline laparotomy: a review of the evidence.

Marcus Abbawy, David Okoh, Arundhati Binuraj, Finlay Holden, Benjamin Fox, Rajneesh Sachdeva, Jagtar Pooni, Manpreet Singh, Thomas Allen, Saibal Ganguly and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in anesthesiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Marcus Abbawy *University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
David Okoh *Walsall Manor Hospital, Walsall, United Kingdom.
Arundhati BinurajDepartment of Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Acute Care Medicine, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.
Finlay HoldenDudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, Dudley, United Kingdom.
Benjamin FoxDepartment of Anaesthesia, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust, King's Lynn, United Kingdom.
Rajneesh SachdevaDepartment of Anaesthesia, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Jagtar PooniDepartment of Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Acute Care Medicine, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.
Manpreet SinghDepartment of Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Acute Care Medicine, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.
Thomas AllenDepartment of Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Acute Care Medicine, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.
Saibal GangulyDepartment of Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Acute Care Medicine, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.
Fang Gao-SmithDepartment of Inflammation and Ageing, School of Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Tonny VeenithDepartment of Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Acute Care Medicine, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Perioperative management of pain is crucial in optimising patient outcomes after laparotomy. This review focuses on the rectus sheath block (RSB) and its use in midline laparotomies. This article will examine the current evidence on the clinical efficacy of this method, comparing it to alternative anaesthetic methods and outlining the numerous benefits of its use. The future of the RSB is considered, with an emphasis on where advancements may be achieved and the areas that require further research. We refer to the complications associated with RSB, which are uncommon. If a rectus sheath block is performed in accordance with the evidence-based steps outlined in this review, the likelihood of complications should be minimal.

Indexed as

anaesthesialaparotomypainperiooperative managementrectus sheath analgesia

Identifiers

PMID41835012
PMCPMC7618876

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.