Analgesic Efficacy of Transverse Abdomen Plane Block in Kidney Transplantation

Abstract

Introduction: The transversus abdominis plane anesthetic block (TAP Block)technique was first introduced in 2001 by Rafi to promote anterolateral abdominal wall analgesia. This block involves the T7-L1, subcostal, ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerves. Kidney transplant recipients are candidates for this blocking method, since the surgical access to the kidney implant allows exposure of the nerve plexus, T7-L1, responsible for the parietal component of pain, allowing its blockade under direct vision. Objectives: To analyze the analgesic efficacy of TAP Block x local infiltration in kidney transplantation in three different moments: upon awakening after 6h and with 24h of rest and 24h of sitting down using the visual analogue pain scale for evaluation. Methods: Prospective, randomized, double-blind study with two groups, the control group: standard balanced general anesthesia and infusion of local anesthetic in the subcutaneous tissue; and the experimental: balanced general anesthesia and local anesthetic infusion (TAP Block) directly through the surgical access. These groups were evaluated postoperatively by a researcher who was unaware of the type of procedure the patient underwent. Candidates to participate in the study were patients from the General Transplant Unit, located at the Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira (IMIP). Results: 45 patients were allocated in the study. After exclusions, 20 patients in the control group and 21 patients in the experimental group were analyzed. No clinical or demographic characteristics were statistically significant. In the control group, 72.6 % reported moderate/severe pain upon awakening, while moderate and severe pain was present in only 7.4 % of the experimental group, with p<0.001. In the 06h assessment, there was a significant difference in relation to moderate/severe pain scores between groups: 59.8 % in the control and 15 % for the experimental group, respectively, with p < 0.007. There was no statistical difference between the groups in the static and dynamic evaluation in the 24h period. Conclusion: Balanced general anesthesia associated with TAP Block proved to be effective in reducing moderate and severe pain scores in the initial moments: upon awakening, and after 6h, being, as expected, less effective in the 24-hour evaluation.