Transversus abdominis plane blocks in laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair: a review

Throughout its history, there have been significant advances in pain control of inguinal hernia repairs. One of the most recent developments is locoregional pain blocks. There is a multitude of literature available on laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair and transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks.

This paper seeks to provide a thorough and systematic literature review on the role of TAP blocks in laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs.

PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for relevant literature using predetermined medical subject heading (MeSH) terms: "(TAP block)" AND "(Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair)".

A total of 166 publications were identified, from which 18 publications were included in the final review after eligibility criteria were applied.

The majority of studies conclude that TAP blocks performed in the setting of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair improve post-operative pain and mobility, decrease opiate analgesic usage, and are superior in pain control compared to other modalities of regional anesthesia. Thus, to improve post-operative outcomes and patient satisfaction, TAP blocks should be heavily considered for routine use in surgical practice for laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair.