The Role of Transversus Abdominis Plane Blocks in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Pathways for Open and Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery.

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The Role of Transversus Abdominis Plane Blocks in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Pathways for Open and Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery.

Kim AJ, Yong RJ, Urman RD. J Laparoendosc. The Role of Transversus Abdominis Plane Blocks in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Pathways for Open and Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery. Adv Surg Tech A. 2017 Sep;27(9):909-914. 

What is already known:

Good analgesia, enabling patients to meet the various mobilisation and dietary goals is an essential part of a good ERAS programme. But the optimal form of analgesia is not yet known. Abdominal plane blocks such as TAP blocks are a popular choice for abdominal surgery.

What this paper adds:

The authors conducted a comprehensive literature review, comparing TAP blocks with other different modalities for (mostly) laparoscopic colorectal surgery, and conclude that these blocks are a useful adjunct in the multimodal analgesic plan for these patients. They are easy to perform and are opioid sparing with minimal side effects. They also suggest that liposomal bupivacaine may be more effective than conventional bupivacaine.

Chris Jones, Guildford. @chrisnjones

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