Abstract

The concept of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery not only saves the OT turn over time but has been shown to reduce the hospital stay and cost of treatment significantly. Various benefits of multi modal analgesia have already been proven in literature. Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block has established itself a reliable tool for allaying pain particularly in laparoscopic surgeries. However, the timing for this block has not been specifically defined in literature. The primary aim of the present study is to compare the efficacy of preoperative vs. postoperative TAP block for allaying surgical pain while using 0.25 % plain bupivacaine via Visual Analogue Score. Secondary aim is to compare the consumption of opioids postoperatively after laparoscopic procedures when block is given pre-and post-incision period in Milligram Morphine Equivalent. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in a service hospital of Armed forces located at an altitude of 12000 feet above mean sea level between September 2020 to September 2021 in patients who underwent elective laparoscopic appendectomy and cholecystectomy.