Laparoscopic transversus abdominis plane block reduces postoperative opioid requirements after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Title

Laparoscopic transversus abdominis plane block reduces postoperative opioid requirements after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Creator

Kiara N Jeffrey
Angela E Thelen
Angelina M Dreimiller
Luis E Tollinche
Hemasat Alkhatib
Amelia Dorsey
Kevin M El-Hayek

Date

2022

Description

Background: Surgeons directly contribute to the over-prescription of opioids. Alternative postoperative pain management strategies are necessary to reduce opioid dispensation and combat the opioid epidemic. We set out to examine the effectiveness of a laparoscopic transversus abdominis plane block on reducing opioid requirements after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Methods: In a retrospective cohort analysis, we compared opioid naïve patients who underwent an elective, outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy with a transversus abdominis plane block with patients who underwent a laparoscopic cholecystectomy alone between January 2018 and June 2021 at a single institution. Patient characteristics, perioperative pain scores, and postoperative analgesic requirements were compared between cohorts.

Results: There were 200 patients included in the study (laparoscopic cholecystectomy with a transversus abdominis plane block, n = 100; laparoscopic cholecystectomy alone, n = 100). The average postoperative pain scores in the postanesthesia care unit were equivalent between the groups (laparoscopic cholecystectomy with a transversus abdominis plane block = 3.39 versus laparoscopic cholecystectomy alone = 4.17, P = .12), with the mean postanesthesia care unit opioid requirements significantly lower in patients receiving laparoscopic cholecystectomy with a transversus abdominis plane block (12.1 vs 20.4 oral morphine equivalents, P < .001). Patients receiving laparoscopic cholecystectomy with a transversus abdominis plane block were prescribed fewer opioids on discharge (mean 77.5 vs 92.9 oral morphine equivalents, P < .05) and reported using a lower proportion of their opioid prescription at follow-up (83.2% vs 100%, P < .001). Of the patients receiving laparoscopic cholecystectomy with a transversus abdominis plane block, 65% reported using over-the-counter pain medications compared with 82% of patients receiving laparoscopic cholecystectomy alone (P < .001).

Conclusion: Performing a laparoscopic transversus abdominis plane block during elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe and effective strategy to reduce postoperative opioid requirements for the treatment of acute postoperative pain.

Source

Surgery
. 2022 Nov 3;S0039-6060(22)00750-4. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2022.07.053. Online ahead of print.

Language

English

Tags

Citation

Kiara N Jeffrey et al., “Laparoscopic transversus abdominis plane block reduces postoperative opioid requirements after laparoscopic cholecystectomy,” NEOMED Bibliography Database, accessed April 25, 2024, https://neomed.omeka.net/items/show/12141.