Laparoscopic versus ultrasound-guided visualization of transversus abdominis plane blocks

Ultrasound-guided (US) transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is commonly utilized as part of a multi-modal approach for postoperative pain management. This study seeks to determine whether laparoscopic-guided TAP blocks are as effective as US-guided TAP blocks among pediatric patients. In this prospective, randomized controlled trial, pediatric patients undergoing laparoscopic procedures were randomly assigned to one of two treatment arms: US-guided TAP block (US-arm) or laparoscopic-guided TAP block (LAP-arm). Primary outcome was PACU pain scores. Secondary outcomes included PACU opioid consumption, block completion time and block accuracy. Twenty-five patients were enrolled in each arm. In the LAP-arm, 59% of blocks were in the transversus abdominis plane compared to 74% of TAP blocks in the US-arm (p = 0.18). Blocks were completed faster in the LAP-arm (2.1 ± 1.9 vs. 7.9 ± 3.4 min, p