TDNet Discover

Effective pain management is a critical component of excellent anesthesia care. Ineffective pain management in the perioperative and postoperative settings negatively affects patient outcomes and creates an additional burden for the patient, such as delayed recovery, psychological distress, development of chronic pain, and increased hospital costs. Postoperative complications, such as those associated with uncontrolled pain, can increase hospital costs by up to 175%. Furthermore, patients cannot be discharged with unmanaged pain, thus leading to additional pain management measures and extended hospitalization. Regional anesthesia allows providers to manage patients' pain using local anesthetic agents injected around nerve fibers. This technique helps to enhance patient recovery and outcomes by providing analgesia for up to 24 hours. The alleviation of pain allows for early ambulation, reduces the need for additional analgesics, and an earlier return to activities of daily living (ADL). The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a regional anesthetic technique used to suppress the transmission of somatic pain signals from the abdomen in those undergoing abdominal surgical procedures. This paper explores current research to determine the optimal timing of a TAP block in an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol to improve patient outcomes in adults undergoing abdominal surgery.