Assessing the Benefits of Standardizing Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) Block in Laparoscopic Surgeries: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background: Effective postoperative pain control is a key determinant of recovery following laparoscopic surgery. Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) block is widely used as part of multimodal analgesia to reduce postoperative pain and opioid consumption. However, real world evidence comparing analgesic outcomes associated with TAP block use in routine clinical practice remains limited.

Aim: To assess the association between the use of TAP block and postoperative analgesic outcomes in patients undergoing elective laparoscopic surgeries.

Methods: This retrospective observational comparative study reviewed medical records of 100 adult patients (20–65 years) who underwent elective laparoscopic surgeries between January 2023 and January 2024. Based on documented analgesic technique, patients were categorized into those who had received TAP block (n=50) and those managed with conventional systemic analgesia (n=50). Pain score at 6 hours postoperatively (VAS) was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included total opioid consumption and time to discharge. Independent sample t tests and linear regression analysis were applied.

Results: Patients with documented TAP block use demonstrated significantly lower mean VAS scores at 6 hours (2.8 ± 0.9) compared with the conventional analgesia group (5.3 ± 1.2; p < 0.001). Opioid consumption was lower in the TAP block group (18.1 ± 4.24 mg vs 29.9 ± 4.55 mg; p < 0.001), and time to discharge was shorter (22.26 ± 3.85 hours vs 27.38 ± 4.57 hours; p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that TAP block use was independently associated with lower postoperative pain scores.

Conclusion: In routine clinical practice, the use of TAP block was associated with improved postoperative analgesia, reduced opioid requirement, and earlier discharge following laparoscopic surgery. These findings support further prospective studies to confirm the role of TAP block within multimodal analgesia protocols.

Keywords: Transversus Abdominis Plane Block; Laparoscopic Surgery; Postoperative Pain; Opioid Sparing Analgesia; Retrospective Study

Citation

Hema Chandrika M, Ravi Chavan. Assessing the Benefits of Standardizing Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) Block in Laparoscopic Surgeries: A Retrospective Study. WebLog J Anesthesiol. wjan.2026.a2209. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18449849