Subcostal Transversus Abdominis Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia

To evaluate the effect of subcostal transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block on postoperative analgesia and short-term prognosis. Forty patients were divided into T and N groups. Ultrasound-guided bilateral subcostal TAP block was performed by injection of ropivacaine or normal saline using patient-controlled intravenous analgesia pump. Postoperative hypoalgesia plane was T6-T10 in T group. Postoperative time to press PCIA pump time was (175.85±8.99) min and (64.10±27.37) min in N group. Sufentanil consumption at postoperative 0-12 h and 12-24 h and total sufentanil consumption were significantly lower than N group. Patients had significantly higher degree of satisfaction than N group. Off-bed time was (30.28±2.01) h and (39.55±2.56) h and the first flatus time was (48.95±3.83) h and (64.40±4.58) h in N group. It can offer 6 h analgesia time, enhance analgesic effect within postoperative 24 h, decrease the dosage of opiod drugs and promote intestinal tract function and mobility of recovery. Introduction For patients undergoing open radical gastrectomy, the analgesic effect of single intravenous injection was poor. acute upper abdomen pain after surgery severely reduced the comfortableness and affected respiration, off-bed time and the first flatus time and even progressed into neuropathic pain. In 2001, Rafi et al proposed the concept of transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block based upon dissection knowledge, which has been widely applied in the analgesia of lower abdominal operation[1]. Hebbard et al suggested that subcostal TAP was efficacious for upper abdominal operation[2]. Our preliminary experiment validated the good compound analgesic effect of subcostal TAP during surgery[3]. However, whether subcostal TAP could effectively supplement the postoperative intravenous analgesia and affect the quality of postoperative recovery remain unstudied, which is the starting point of this study. International Conference on Biomedical and Biological Engineering (BBE 2016) © 2016. The authors Published by Atlantis Press 258 Materials and Methods