Can postoperative pain be prevented in bariatric surgery? efficacy and usability of fascial plane blocks: a retrospective clinical study

Abstract

Background: Providing analgesia after bariatric surgery might be challenging due to a high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and the increased sensitivity to respiratory depression triggered by opioid overuse after surgery. Various combination methods with paracetamol, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and other pain medications such as ketamine or gabapentin have been suggested for reduction of the opioid usage. Regional anesthetic techniques represent a valuable option as they improve patient comfort while reducing opioid-related side effects. In this study, we have evaluated the adjuvant benefits of these various techniques in reduction of the postoperative pain in bariatric surgery. Methods: After the approval of the IRB Ethics Committee, the records of the patients who had laparoscopic bariatric surgery between January 2019 and December 2021 were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Records of 120 patients who underwent laparoscopic bariatric surgery between January 2019 and December 2021 were reviewed. In total, 113 patients with full documentation were included in this study. Among these, 74 patients were administered regional analgesia. The main regional analgesia techniques were transversus abdominis plane and rectus sheath block. The pain scores of those receiving regional analgesia were statistically low. The opioid consumption after transversus abdominis plane and rectus sheath block was significantly lower than that of others. External oblique intercostal block alone provides a postoperative opioid consumption similar to those of transversus abdominis plane and rectus sheath block. Conclusion: The use of fascial plane blocks in bariatric surgery significantly reduces opioid consumption. Transversus abdominis plane and rectus sheath block combination and external oblique intercostal block seem to be the most effective options.