The Additive Analgesic Effects of Oblique Subcostal Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Abdominoplasty under Spinal Anaesthesia: A Randomized Controlled Study

Background: General anesthesia is the conventional anesthetic method for abdominoplasty; however, spinal anesthesia can be utilized successfully in abdominoplasty procedures that do not involve liposuction. Objectives: This study sought to assess the analgesic effectiveness of oblique subcostal transversus abdominis plane block (OSTAP block) administered immediately after giving spinal anesthesia in abdominoplasty, with an emphasis on extending postoperative analgesia and reducing the number of cases converted to general anesthesia. Methods: Sixty-six patients were randomly selected to have elective abdominoplasty without liposuction. They were randomly allocated into two groups of comparable sizes, each comprising 33 patients. The first group received spinal anesthesia with no block. The second group received oblique subcostal TAP block just after giving spinal anesthesia. Results: The findings indicated a significant difference between the two groups regarding postoperative analgesic consumption, the number of patients converted to general anesthesia, and the time of the initial request for rescue analgesia. No significant difference was seen between the groups for postoperative VAS scores and complications. Conclusion: We advocate the incorporation of oblique subcostal TAP block immediately after giving spinal anesthesia, since it yields superior postoperative analgesic results and reduces the number of patients requiring conversion to general anesthesia.