Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block for neonatal abdominal surgery

This paper describes four neonates having abdominal procedures with intraoperative and early postoperative analgesia provided by a transversus abdominis plane regional block. Analgesia for neonatal upper and mid-abdominal surgery usually involves regional anaesthesia and/or systemic opioid. All these analgesia techniques have problems specific to the neonatal period. Neonates are sensitive to the respiratory depressant effects of systemic opioid, while the low threshold for local anaesthetic toxicity limits regional anaesthesia/analgesia, which in neonatal upper abdominal surgery is often limited to local anaesthetic infiltration. The transversus abdominis plane block has been shown to provide effective analgesia following a variety of abdominal surgeries in both adults and children. We report four neonates who underwent minor or major abdominal surgery under general anaesthesia supplemented by ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block. Perioperative opioids were administered to one neonate who required postoperative ventilation. Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane bock is a technically feasible alternative to local anaesthetic wound infiltration in the neonate and warrants further evaluation.