Use of Preoperative TAP – Block with Two Different Concentrations of Ropivacaine: A Comparison in the Perspective of an Opioid-Sparing Approach in Emergency Abdominal Surgery

Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks can provide postoperative analgesia for a variety of surgical procedures. A lot of clinical studies have evaluated TAP block showing positive analgesic effects [1]. In the literature there are not many reports on the use of TAP - Block in abdominal surgery in emergency - urgency setting. We evaluated 12 patients divided into two groups (A, B) who underwent pre-operative TAP - Blocks with two different mixtures of local anesthetic: group A was administered the mixture with Ropivacaine 0.375% and adjuvants, while group B the mixture with Ropivacaine 0.45%, Mepivacaine 0.5% and adjuvants was administered. In group B there was a lower need for opioid administration both intraoperatively and postoperatively. Furthermore, in most cases pain control upon awakening was superior in group B compared to group A.