ASSESSMENT OF POSTOPERATIVE ANALGESIC EFFECT OF RECTUS SHEATH BLOCK IN GYNECOLOGICAL LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Surgical Pain Management
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

Background:

• Gynaecological laparoscopic surgery, while minimally invasive, often results in significant postoperative pain.
• Rectus sheath block (RSB) is an analgesic technique used to manage this pain.
• Bupivacaine, a long-acting local anesthetic, is utilized in bilateral rectus sheath block (BRSB) for postoperative pain control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of bupivacaine's bilateral rectus sheath block (BRSB) for post-laparoscopic pain management.
• To compare the effectiveness of BRSB with intraperitoneal (IP) bupivacaine administration for pain relief.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial involving 60 adult female patients undergoing elective gynecological laparoscopic surgery.
• Patients were randomized into two groups: Group I received BRSB with 25 mg bupivacaine, and Group II received 25 mg bupivacaine intraperitoneally.
• Postoperative pain was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at 1, 6, 10, and 24 hours.

Main Results:

• Both groups had similar average ages and BMIs, with no significant difference in surgical duration.
• Group I (BRSB) demonstrated significantly lower average VAS pain scores compared to Group II (IP administration) at all measured time points (p=0.001).

Conclusions:

• Bupivacaine administered via bilateral rectus sheath block (BRSB) is a more effective method for managing postoperative pain following gynecological laparoscopic surgery.
• BRSB provides superior analgesia compared to intraperitoneal bupivacaine administration.