Does the Transversus Abdominis Plane(TAP) Block Effectively Manage Pain After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy?

August 30, 2026 updated by: Syeda Zareen Raza, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre

Does the Transversus Abdominis Plane(TAP) Block Effectively Manage Pain After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy?. A Randomised Controlled Trial

The study is about managing pain after laparoscopic gallbladder surgery. Pain after surgery is very common and can affect recovery, delay normal activities, and increase the length of hospital stay. Poorly controlled pain can also increase the risk of developing long-term pain.

Good pain control can make patients more comfortable, reduce the need for opioid painkillers, shorten hospital stay, and improve patient satisfaction.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a common surgery for gallstones. Although it is done through small cuts, patients can still experience significant pain after the operation. This pain can come from the surgical wounds, the abdominal organs, and pain felt in other areas.

A TAP block is a type of regional anesthesia that numbs the nerves supplying the abdominal wall. Previous studies have shown that TAP blocks may help reduce pain after surgery. However, there is limited research about its effectiveness in Pakistan and similar settings.

Therefore, this study will compare patients who undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy with a TAP block to those who undergo the surgery without a TAP block. The study will assess their pain levels, how much pain medication they need, and how long they stay in the hospital.

The main aim is to determine whether using a TAP block can provide better pain control, reduce the need for painkillers, and shorten hospital stay after laparoscopic gallbladder surgery.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This study focuses on the management of pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which is a common surgery performed to remove the gallbladder, usually because of symptomatic gallstones. Although laparoscopic surgery is less invasive than open surgery, patients can still experience significant pain after the procedure. This pain can affect their comfort, recovery, ability to move normally, and the time they need to remain in the hospital.

Postoperative pain is an important problem because poorly controlled acute pain can have both short-term and long-term effects. It may delay recovery, increase the need for painkillers, particularly opioids, and prolong hospital admission. In some patients, inadequately treated acute pain may also contribute to the development of chronic pain. Therefore, effective pain management is an important part of postoperative care.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is associated with different types of pain. The pain may come from the surgical incision sites, from the internal abdominal organs, or may be felt in another area of the body as referred pain. Because of these different sources, several methods have been used to control pain after surgery. These include conventional painkillers and different regional anesthesia techniques.

One of these techniques is the Transversus Abdominis Plane block, commonly called a TAP block. In this procedure, local anesthetic is injected into the plane between the abdominal muscles. The aim is to block the nerves that carry pain sensation from the abdominal wall. By reducing pain transmission, the TAP block may decrease the amount of pain experienced by the patient after surgery.

Previous studies have reported that TAP blocks can provide better postoperative pain control and may reduce the need for analgesic medications. However, most of the available evidence comes from studies conducted outside Pakistan. There is relatively limited local evidence about how effective and safe TAP blocks are in Pakistani patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Differences in patient characteristics, surgical techniques, anesthesia practices, and pain management protocols between countries make local research important.

This study is therefore designed to compare patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy with a TAP block to patients undergoing the same surgery without a TAP block. The researchers will assess whether the TAP block provides better postoperative pain control and reduces the need for additional pain medication.

The study will mainly assess three outcomes. The first is the patient's postoperative pain score, which will show whether patients receiving a TAP block experience less pain. The second is the amount of analgesic medication required after surgery, which will help determine whether the TAP block reduces the need for additional painkillers. The third is the length of hospital stay, which will show whether better pain control allows patients to recover and be discharged earlier.

Overall, the purpose of this study is to determine whether adding a TAP block to laparoscopic cholecystectomy can improve postoperative recovery. If the TAP block is found to significantly reduce pain, decrease analgesic requirements, and shorten hospital stay, it could support the use of TAP blocks as part of routine pain management for patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the local hospital setting.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
200

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Sindh
      • Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, 75500
        • Jinnah postgraduate medical university

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients diagnosed with symptomatic cholelithiasis and advised to undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
  • Both Genders
  • Age more than 10 years and not above 60 years.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with contraindications for surgery.
  • Patients below the age of 10 years or above 60 years.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy with TAP Block
Patients in this group will undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy with a Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) block. The TAP block will be given as a regional anesthesia technique to reduce postoperative abdominal pain. Their postoperative pain will be assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at 0, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery. Their analgesic requirements and length of hospital stay will also be recorded.
Procedure: TAP Block
The intervention will consist of a Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) block performed in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The TAP block will involve the injection of a local anesthetic into the plane between the abdominal muscles to block sensory nerves supplying the abdominal wall. It will be used to reduce postoperative pain and decrease the need for additional analgesic medication. Its effectiveness will be assessed by comparing postoperative pain scores, analgesic requirements, and length of hospital stay with patients who do not receive a TAP block.
Other Names:
  • Transversus abdominis plane block
  • Transverse abdominis plane block
  • Abdominal wall TAP Block
No Intervention: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy without TAP Block
Patients in this group will undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy without receiving a Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) block. They will receive the usual postoperative pain management provided as part of routine care. Their postoperative pain will be assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at 0, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery. Their analgesic requirements and length of hospital stay will also be recorded.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Postoperative pain score
Time Frame: At 0 (recovery room), 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery.
Pain will be measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain. Higher scores indicate greater postoperative pain (worse outcome).
At 0 (recovery room), 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Length of hospital stay
Time Frame: From the time of completion of surgery until hospital discharge, assessed continuously during the postoperative period up to 7 days after surgery or until discharge, whichever occurs first.
The duration of hospitalization after laparoscopic cholecystectomy will be measured and compared between patients who receive a TAP block and those who do not.
From the time of completion of surgery until hospital discharge, assessed continuously during the postoperative period up to 7 days after surgery or until discharge, whichever occurs first.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 30, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
November 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 23, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 30, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 2, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 2, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 30, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • NO.F.2-81/2026-GENL/49/JPMC

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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