The Analgesic Efficacy of Ultrasound Guided Transversalis Fascia Plane Block in Inguinal Lymph Node Dissection

Plain-language summary

Pain accompanying Inguinal lymph node dissection triggers a complex stress response leading to impairment of pulmonary, immunological and metabolic function. Opioids are the current gold standard drug for postoperative pain relief, however exposure to large doses lead to multiple side effects of varying significance such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, constipation, respiratory depression, hypoventilation and sleep disordered breathing. Therefore, strategies other than opioids are recommended without sacrificing proper and effective analgesia, especially in cancer patients who are more susceptible to tolerance and addiction. Transversalis Fascia Plane Block is used in patients undergoing various surgeries like iliac crest bone harvesting, appendicectomy, cecostomy and inguinal hernia repair, often in combination with TAP block. The initial description of TFPB was with patients in the supine position, with a linear array or curvilinear probe placed between the iliac crest and the costal margin. The external oblique, internal oblique and transversus abdominis muscles and the transversus aponeurosis are identified. The entry of the needle has to be in-plane, from the anterior aspect, and after traversing through the deep surface of the transversus abdominis muscle, local anesthetic is injected to separate the transversalis fascia from the transversus muscle. Studies have demonstrated that this intervention blocks the proximal branches of T12 and L1 and to a lesser extent T11 in the plane between the transversus abdominis muscle and the transversalis fascia. Since its initial description, ultrasound (US)-guided TFPB has been explored in many randomized controlled trials for patients undergoing iliac crest bone harvesting, lower segment caesarean section (LSCS), inguinal hernia repair and hip surgeries.

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