[Transversus abdominis plane block: anesthesia procedure for abdominal wall surgery only]

Abstract

The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a well known method for postoperative pain control after abdominal surgery. From an anatomical and physiological point of view it should be possible to perform abdominal wall surgery, e.g. wound debridement, using a TAP block only. To the authors knowledge no studies have been published with respect to the use of TAP only. This article presents a case report demonstrating that it is possible to perform three consecutive operation procedures within 7 days using only a bilateral TAP catheter technique. The TAP block without any co-medication provides high patient comfort and should be recognized as a good alternative for abdominal wall surgery.