Laparoscopic- vs ultrasound-guided TAP block in colorectal surgery. A randomized controlled study

TAP block is a recommended intervention for postoperative pain relief in colorectal surgery. Although ultrasound TAP (ULTAP) is the most studied approach, a laparoscopic technique (LAPTAP) has been described with heterogeneous results. The objective of this study is to compare laparoscopic-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block versus ultrasound-guided TAP block in minimally invasive colorectal surgery.

Between May 1, 2021, and July 31, 2023, patients undergoing minimally invasive colorectal surgery were invited to participate in a randomized observer-blind controlled trial at Danderyd Hospital, Sweden. Postoperative pain and analgesia use, along with the time required for the TAP procedure, duration of anesthesia, and surgery were studied. The analysis was conducted on an intention-to-treat basis with subgroup analysis based on participants Body Mass Index (BMI).

A total of 175 participants (88 LAPTAP and 87 ULTAP) underwent randomization. LAPTAP was associated with a shorter anesthesia duration (238 min) than ULTAP (265 min) with a median difference of 27 min (95% CI -49 to -5), and the procedure itself was faster, with a median time of 2 min versus 8 min for ULTAP (median difference -6 min, 95% CI -8 to -4). Pain measured using VAS was similar. There was no significant difference in the mean dosage of postoperative pain medication although more participants in the LAPTAP group than in the ULTAP group received opioids in the postoperative care unit.

LAPTAP is a feasible approach for postoperative pain relief in minimally invasive colorectal surgery, with comparable postoperative pain relief to ULTAP and a significantly shorter time under anesthesia.