Introduction: Abdominoplasty involves the removal of excess skin and fat from the
abdominal region, rectus sheath plication, and umbilical transposition. The number of
cosmetic abdominoplasty procedures has been steadily increasing in recent years. Due to
extensive tissue manipulation and large incisions during surgery, postoperative pain has
become a significant concern. Studies report that up to 80% of patients experience
postoperative pain; however, fewer than half of these patients receive adequate
analgesia. Improving postoperative pain control has been shown to facilitate early
mobilization, reduce hospital length of stay, lower healthcare costs, and enhance patient
satisfaction. Therefore, ensuring effective postoperative analgesia has become a critical
aspect of patient management.
Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block and erector spinae plane (ESP) block are
peripheral nerve block techniques that can be used as part of a multimodal analgesia
approach for postoperative pain management after abdominoplasty. In this study, we aimed
to compare the effects of TAP and ESP blocks on postoperative pain in patients undergoing
abdominoplasty.
Aim/Hypothesis:
H0: There is a significant difference in the analgesic efficacy between ultrasound-guided
ESP and TAP blocks in postoperative pain management after abdominoplasty.
H1: There is not a significant difference in the analgesic efficacy between
ultrasound-guided ESP and TAP blocks in postoperative pain management after
abdominoplasty.
Materials and Methods: Our study was designed as a retrospective analysis. Patient
records and hospital database will be reviewed to identify all patients who underwent
abdominoplasty and received TAP block or ESP block for postoperative analgesia.
Demographic data including age, gender, weight, height, body mass index (BMI) and
American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, as well as comorbidities and
medications used will be recorded on case report forms. The type of block performed (TAP
or ESP) and postoperative pain scores obtained from pain assessment forms using the
Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) at 0, 2, 4, 6, 12 and 24 hours postoperatively will be
documented. In addition, data from the patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device will be
recorded, including number of doses demanded (DEM) and number of doses delivered (DEL).
Other parameters such as additional analgesic requirements, postoperative nausea and
vomiting, itching and patient satisfaction will also be recorded.