Nerve blocks of the anterior abdominal wall

A significant component of pain experienced after abdominal surgery is related to incision of the abdominal wall and adequate analgesia can be a challenge. Regional blocks of the anterior abdominal wall can significantly help with intraoperative and postoperative analgesia. In this article, we aim to describe the techniques and applications for abdominal wall nerve blocks, including the ilioinguinal, iliohypogastric, rectus sheath, and transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks. These simple but often overlooked blocks, when used for the appropriate surgical procedure, can provide excellent postoperative analgesia, decrease opioid requirements, allow patients to breathe and cough more comfortably, and facilitate early mobilization and discharge.