M-Tapa Block vs External Oblique Intercostal Block for Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery

In obese patients, adequate pain relief in the postoperative period is an important parameter that affects patient comfort and hospital stay. Increasing patient comfort and recovery quality can be achieved by avoiding undesirable effects such as nausea, vomiting, and analgesia. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Bilateral External Oblique Intercostal Block (EOIB) and Perichondrial Modified Thoracoabdominal Nerve Block (M-TAPA) on postoperative acute pain scores (0-24 hours) and 24-hour opioid consumption in patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

Morbid obesity patients often have multisystem physiological changes and multiple comorbidities that can significantly affect perioperative pain control. These patients may have increased side effects from inadequate acute pain management and opioids should be used with caution.

Regional techniques can be applied in obese patients because they provide non-opioid analgesia and have fewer perioperative respiratory side effects. Effective pain control is associated with reduced post-operative opioid administration, faster mobilization, faster recovery, and shorter hospital stay.

Intraoperative nerve blocks using local anesthetics have been shown to improve postoperative pain in various abdominal surgeries, both open and laparoscopic. Recently, it has been reported that the M-TAPA block is a promising new technique that provides effective analgesia of the anterior and lateral thoracoabdominal walls during laparoscopic surgery, in which local anesthetic is delivered only to the underside of the perichondral surface.

TAPA/M-TAPA block has been shown to provide a potent analgesic effect in a large abdomen by numbing both the anterior and lateral cutaneous branches of the thoracoabdominal nerves. Therefore, the TAPA/M-TAPA block has been used in various abdominal surgeries. The EOI block represents an important modification of the fascial plane block techniques that can consistently cover the upper lateral abdominal wall.

When we look at the literature, it is seen that there are not enough studies on M-TAPA block and EOIB.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of Bilateral External Oblique Intercostal Block (EOIB) and Perichondrial Modified Thoracoabdominal Nerve Block (M-TAPA) on postoperative acute pain scores (0-24 hours) and 24-hour opioid consumption in patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Our study, which the investigators think will contribute to the literature, was planned as a prospective, randomized, controlled, parallel-group study.

Patients will be divided into two groups:

Group M-TAPA :

A bilateral M-TAPA (60 ml 0.25% bupivacaine + 1:400.000 adrenaline) will be performed. In addition, IV morphine-PCA will be applied postoperatively for 24 hours.

Group EOIB :

A bilateral EOIB (60 ml 0.25% bupivacaine + 1:400.000 adrenaline) will be performed. In addition, IV morphine-PCA will be applied postoperatively for 24 hours.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Age between18-65 years
* American Society of Anesthesiology score II-III
* Body mass index (BMI) \> 35 kg/m2
* Patients who will sign the informed consent form

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of opioid use for more than four weeks
* Chronic pain syndromes
* Patients with a history of local anesthetic or opioid allergy, hypersensitivity
* Severe cardiac, hepatic, and renal disease
* Alcohol and drug addiction
* Conditions where regional anesthesia is contraindicated
* Failure in the dermatomal examination performed after the block
* Patients with a STOP-BANG score ≥5