Laparoscopic assisted versus ultrasound guided transversus abdominis plane block in laparoscopic bariatric surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB) guided by laparoscopy and ultrasound showed promise in enhancing the multimodal analgesic approach following several abdominal procedures. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety between Laparoscopic (LAP) TAP block (LTAP) and ultrasound-guided TAP block (UTAP) block in patients undergoing LAP bariatric surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This non-inferiority randomized controlled single-blind study was conducted on 120 patients with obesity scheduled for LAP bariatric surgeries. Patients were allocated into two equal groups: LTAP and UTAP, administered with 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine on each side. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the total morphine consumption, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score at all times of measurements, and time to the first rescue analgesia (p > .05) between both groups. The duration of anesthesia and duration of block performance were significantly shorter in the LTAP group than in the UTAP group (p < .001). Both groups had comparable post-operative heart rate, mean arterial pressure, adverse effects, and patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: In LAP bariatric surgery, the analgesic effect of LTAP is non-inferior to UTAP, as evidenced by comparable time to first rescue analgesia and total morphine consumption with similar safety blocking through the low incidence of post-operative complications and patient satisfaction. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered in Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR) (ID: PACTR202206871825386) on June 29, 2022.

The role of dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant for high-thoracic erector spinae plane block for analgesia in shoulder arthroscopy; a randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Management of postoperative pain after shoulder arthroscopy is an important issue. Dexmedetomidine, as an adjuvant, improves nerve block efficacy and decreases postoperative consumption of opioids. As a result, we designed this study to determine if adding dexmedetomidine to an erector spinae plane block (ESPB) that is guided by ultrasound (US) is beneficial for treating immediate postoperative pain following shoulder arthroscopy. METHODS: This randomized controlled double-blind trial recruited 60 cases 18-65 years old of both sexes, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-II, scheduled for elective shoulder arthroscopy. Random allocation of 60 cases was done equally into two groups according to the solution injected in US-guided ESPB at T2 before general anesthetic induction. Group (ESPB): 20 ml 0.25% bupivacaine. Group (ESPB + DEX): 19 ml bupivacaine 0.25% + 1 mL dexmedetomidine 0.5 µg/kg. The primary outcome was The total rescue morphine consumption in the first 24 postoperative hours. RESULTS: The mean intraoperative fentanyl consumption was significantly lower in the group (ESPB + DEX) compared to the group (ESPB) (82.86 ± 13.57 versus 100.74 ± 35.07, respectively, P = 0.015). The median (IQR) time of the 1st rescue analgesic request was significantly delayed in the group (ESPB + DEX) compared to group (ESPB) [18.5 (18.25-18.75) versus 12 (12-15.75), P = 0.044]. The number of cases that required morphine was significantly lower in the group (ESPB + DEX) than in the group (ESPB) (P = 0.012). The median (IQR) of total postoperative morphine consumption in 1st 24 h was significantly lower in the group (ESPB + DEX) compared to the group (ESPB) [0 (0-0) versus 0 (0-3), P = 0.021]. CONCLUSION: The dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant to bupivacaine in ESPB produced adequate analgesia by reducing the intraoperative and postoperative opioid requirements in shoulder arthroscopy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05165836; principal investigator: Mohammad Fouad Algyar; registration date: 21/12/ 2021).