Ultrasound-guided subcostal-posterior transversus abdominis plane block for pain control following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

Single-Shot Regional Anesthesia for Bariatric Surgery: a Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

PURPOSE

Laparoscopic bariatric surgeries can cause intense postoperative pain. Opioid medication can alleviate the pain but can have harmful side effects especially in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. To promote early recovery, enhanced recovery after surgery guideline advises minimizing opioid use and opting for alternative analgesics. This paper aims to investigate the effect of regional anesthesia techniques through a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Primary outcome is postoperative morphine equivalent consumption at 24 h.

METHODS

Search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus, and EMBASE, from the inception until 10 January 2023. The eligibility criteria were determined by PICOS, including postoperative opioid consumption, pain scores, time to ambulate, use of additional analgesics, and adverse events. The quality assessment was performed using the Risk of Bias 2 Tool, and the certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. Funnel plots were used to evaluate publication bias.

RESULTS

We included 22 studies in quantitative synthesis. A review of 12 studies found that all techniques had a lower mean consumption of opioids compared to placebo or no intervention, with TAP block having the greatest reduction. The quality of evidence for postoperative pain, PONV, time to deambulate, and use of rescue analgesics, was rated as moderate, with TAP block being the most effective intervention. There was no publication bias in any outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

TAP block is superior to other regional anesthesia techniques in reducing opioid consumption, pain, PONV, and use of rescue analgesics in bariatric surgery. However, further research is needed.

Pre-incisional Laparoscopic Preperitoneal Local Anesthetic Technique in Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

Background:

The increasing prevalence of obesity is a significant concern worldwide. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is an effective and standard procedure for sustained weight loss. However, optimal pain control is essential for enhanced recovery after surgery. The aim of this randomized controlled study was to investigate the efficacy of a pre-incisional laparoscopic preperitoneal local anesthetic technique (PLPLAT) on recovery characteristics following LSG.

Methods:

A total of 120 obese patients scheduled to undergo LSG were randomized into the PLPLAT or placebo group (n = 60 patients in both groups). All patients received conventional intravenous or other analgesics postoperatively, as required. The primary outcome was the postoperative pain score. The secondary outcomes included morphine consumption, other analgesics, length of stay in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), hemodynamic changes, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), early mobilization, and length of hospital stay.

Results:

Pain scores in the PACU and at 12 hours after surgery in the ward were significantly lower in the PLPLAT group than in the placebo group (P < 0.05). The morphine consumption was significantly less in PLPLAT group with mean dosage of 2.95 mg (± 0.39) compared to 6.0 mg (± 0.4) in placebo group. PONV, mean arterial pressure, and PACU stay were significantly higher in the placebo group than in the PLPLAT group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Intraoperative PLPLAT provide effective postoperative pain relief for patients undergoing LSG. The findings indicated the efficacy of PLPLAT in reducing postoperative pain, enhancing recovery, and facilitating early discharge.

Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery-a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

PURPOSE

Effective postoperative analgesia is paramount in patients undergoing bariatric surgery, given their increased predisposition to narcotic-induced respiratory depression. Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block has shown promise in the enhanced recovery pathway for several abdominal procedures. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the effectiveness of TAP block in laparoscopic bariatric surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane databases were searched for relevant articles from inception until June 2020. All randomized trials that compared TAP blocks versus none in laparoscopic bariatric procedures were included. The primary outcome was narcotic consumption at 24 h postoperatively, whilst secondary outcomes included postoperative pain scores at 24 h, time to ambulation, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and complication rates. Random effects models were used to calculate pooled effect size estimates.

RESULTS

Seven randomized controlled trials were included, capturing 617 patients. There was high statistical heterogeneity across studies. On random effects analysis, there were no significant differences in narcotic consumption (MD -12.63 mg, 95% CI = -31.67 to 6.41, p = 0.19), pain scores (MD -0.71, 95% CI = -1.93 to 0.50, p = 0.25) or complications (RD = -0.00, 95% CI = -0.03 to 0.03, p = 0.87) between TAP and no TAP groups. However, TAP was associated with significantly less time to ambulation (MD -2.22 h, 95% CI = -3.89 to -0.56, p = 0.009) and PONV (OR = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.05 to 0.35, p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

TAP in laparoscopic bariatric surgery is associated with significantly less PONV and time to ambulation, but similar complication rates, narcotic usage and postoperative pain at 24 h compared to no TAP.