A comparative study of ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block with local anesthetic infiltration in inguinal hernia repair: A prospective randomized study

Abstract

Background: Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a relatively newer block that provides analgesia to the parietal peritoneum, skin and muscles of the anterior abdominal wall. Aims: To determine the effectiveness of the TAP block over wound infiltration for hernia repair. Settings and Design: Randomized, double-blinded, prospective study in an academic teaching hospital. Methods: Sixty patients were divided into two groups of 30 each. In Group T, patients received ultrasound-guided TAP block for inguinal hernia repair whereas in Group I, local anesthetic infiltration at the wound site was done. Primary outcome measure was pain relief as assessed by a numeric rating scale (NRS) whereas secondary outcome measures were duration (from the time at which TAP block or local anesthetic infiltration is given to the time at which patient first requests for rescue analgesic) of post-operative analgesia, patient satisfaction score, and complications, if any. Results: Mean NRS score at 0hr for a group I was 0.88±0.74 and for group T was 0.68±0.70 with a p-value of 0.28 and the mean NRS score at 24hr for the group I was 4.47±0.66 and for group T was 4.54±0.62 with a p-value of 0.68 but at 2hr, 6hr and 12hr, the NRS was significantly more in group I (p < 0.05). Mean time of 1st analgesic request in group I was 403.73 minutes as compared to group T where it was 711.33 mins (P<0.001). The post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and sedation in group I was significantly more than group T. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided TAP block provides better postoperative analgesia both in quality and duration. TAP block reduces the opioid demand and opioid-related side effects like sedation and postoperative nausea vomiting and thus, improves overall patient satisfaction.