Transverse Abdominis Plane (TAP) Block After Cesarean Delivery

The Postoperative Analgesic Efficacy of Varied Concentrations of Ropivacaine Used for the Transverse Abdominis Plane (TAP) Block After Cesarean Delivery

Since there have been no published dose-response studies investigating the effective analgesic dose of ropivacaine for use in a TAP block for post-Cesarean delivery analgesia, the investigators propose a study primarily examining the effect on 24 hour post-Cesarean delivery opioid consumption of using either a placebo, 0.25% ropivacaine, 0.5% ropivacaine, or 0.75% ropivacaine for TAP blocks.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obesity; Postoperative Pain; Pregnancy
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: 0.9% Normal Saline; Drug: 0.2% Ropivacaine; Drug: 0.5% Ropivacaine; Drug: 0.75% Ropivacaine

Detailed Description

Cesarean delivery is the most commonly performed surgical procedure in the United States today, with over 1.2 million cases performed in 2005. One of the most important aspects of cesarean delivery is the provision of safe, effective postoperative analgesia for the mother, while simultaneously ensuring minimal side effects for both the mother and neonate. Studies have suggested that a multimodal approach to post-cesarean pain utilizing both intravenous, oral, and neuraxial opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is highly effective in providing effective analgesia.

A significant component of post-cesarean pain is incisional pain from the Pfannenstiel incision on the anterior abdominal wall. The sensory supply to the skin, muscles, and parietal peritoneum of the anterior abdominal wall is derived from the anterior rami of T7-L1. After exiting the spinal column, these nerves proceed through the lateral abdominal wall within the transversus abdominal fascial plane, terminating in the anterior abdominal wall.

Recent studies have suggested that blocking these afferent sensory nerves with local anesthetics, as part of a multimodal postoperative pain regimen, provides superior pain relief in terms of decreased pain scores and morphine consumption for up to 48 hours postoperatively. The technique utilized for these studies employed a surface anatomical approach to the transversus abdominal fascial plane via the lumbar triangle of Petit, a technique validated in both cadaveric and radiologic studies. However, as ultrasonography has emerged as the "gold standard" for initiating many nerve blocks, reports have described the successful use of ultrasound imaging for initiation of transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks for both abdominal surgeries and cesarean deliveries.

In the published studies investigating the use of the TAP block for post-operative analgesia, either ropivacaine or bupivacaine was utilized in concentrations of 0.75% and 0.375%, respectively. Studies comparing ropivacaine with bupivacaine for use in interscalene, femoral, or sciatic nerve blocks have found no difference in terms of potency, time to onset or duration of postoperative analgesia between the two local anesthetics. Although no similar studies have been done with TAP blocks, one can assume that utilization of ropivacaine for this nerve block would yield similar results in terms postoperative analgesia. Moreover, the cardiotoxicity of ropivacaine has been shown to be significantly less than bupivacaine, making it a safer alternative for use in nerve blocks when used in high doses.

Risk factors for respiratory depression after the administration of neuraxial opioids in the non-obstetric population include morbid obesity and obstructive sleep apnea. For the obstetric population, a study of 856 patients revealed that all 8 patients who experienced respiratory depression after intrathecal morphine for cesarean delivery were markedly obese. Furthermore, the onset of respiratory depression after intrathecal morphine can occur up to 12 hours after administration, a time period when the patient is not being as closely monitored as she is during the 1:1 nursing care in the recovery room. Therefore, it is the investigators policy on the Labor and Delivery unit to not administer intrathecal morphine to any parturient with a history of obstructive sleep apnea or a BMI > 40 kg/m2. These patients often require intravenous opioid patient-controlled analgesia postoperatively, which has been shown to provide inferior pain relief and greater opioid consumption than neuraxial opioids. The current clinical standard is to administer the TAP block to those patients who have not received morphine in their neuraxial anesthetic. The TAP block offers a novel addition to the management of post-cesarean pain for this patient population.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 120
• Phase: Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Illinois
    • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611
      • Northwestern University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• ASA II-III patient
• > 18 years of age who is pregnant
• presenting for a cesarean delivery via Pfannenstiel incision who is eligible to receive a spinal anesthetic with 0.75% bupivacaine and fentanyl and whose is not eligible to receive intrathecal morphine due to a BMI >40 kg/m2.

Exclusion Criteria:

• < 18 years of age
• contraindication to placement of a spinal anesthetic
• contraindication to use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• patients receiving medical therapies considered to result in tolerance to opioids
• patients with a history of established chronic pain, (e.g. chronic low back pain, fibromyalgia or headaches), defined as requiring regular medical follow-up with pain specialists, as well as recent use (within the year preceding pregnancy) of opioid analgesics as an outpatient
• patients with a history of diabetes mellitus
• patients undergoing a vertical midline skin incision
• patients who are undergoing a cesarean delivery after a failed vaginal trial of labor
• patients who had a prior epidural placed for labor analgesia during the same hospital encounter.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Group 1; TAP Block utilizing 15mL of 0.9% normal saline per side	Drug: 0.9% Normal Saline; The abdominal muscle layers will be located by placing the ultrasound transducer perpendicular to the coronal anatomic plane at the T-10 dermatome level in the patient's midaxillary line. Under ultrasound guidance, a 70mm or 90mm, 21 gauge blunted Stimuplex needle will be advanced from the skin until the tip reaches the fascial layer between the internal oblique and transversus abdominis. 15ml of the study drug will be injected incrementally. The needle will then be removed and the process repeated in the same manner on the patient's opposite side.
Experimental: Group 2; TAP Block utilizing 15ml of 0.2% ropivacaine per side	Drug: 0.2% Ropivacaine; The abdominal muscle layers will be located by placing the ultrasound transducer perpendicular to the coronal anatomic plane at the T-10 dermatome level in the patient's midaxillary line. Under ultrasound guidance, a 70mm or 90mm, 21 gauge blunted Stimuplex needle will be advanced from the skin until the tip reaches the fascial layer between the internal oblique and transversus abdominis. 15ml of the study drug will be injected incrementally. The needle will then be removed and the process repeated in the same manner on the patient's opposite side.
Experimental: Group 3; TAP Block utilizing 15ml of 0.5% ropivacaine per side	Drug: 0.5% Ropivacaine; The abdominal muscle layers will be located by placing the ultrasound transducer perpendicular to the coronal anatomic plane at the T-10 dermatome level in the patient's midaxillary line. Under ultrasound guidance, a 70mm or 90mm, 21 gauge blunted Stimuplex needle will be advanced from the skin until the tip reaches the fascial layer between the internal oblique and transversus abdominis. 15ml of the study drug will be injected incrementally. The needle will then be removed and the process repeated in the same manner on the patient's opposite side.
Experimental: Group 4; TAP Block utilizing 15ml of 0.75% ropivacaine per side	Drug: 0.75% Ropivacaine; The abdominal muscle layers will be located by placing the ultrasound transducer perpendicular to the coronal anatomic plane at the T-10 dermatome level in the patient's midaxillary line. Under ultrasound guidance, a 70mm or 90mm, 21 gauge blunted Stimuplex needle will be advanced from the skin until the tip reaches the fascial layer between the internal oblique and transversus abdominis. 15ml of the study drug will be injected incrementally. The needle will then be removed and the process repeated in the same manner on the patient's opposite side.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Morphine Equivalents 0-24 Hours (Mgs)	Total dose of morphine equivalents (IV equivalent of morphine) taken by the participant 0-24 hours after completion of the TAP block.	24 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Morphine Equivalents 24-72 Hours (Mgs)	Total dose of morphine equivalents (IV equivalent of morphine) taken by the participant 24-72 hours after completion of the TAP block.	24-72 hours
Morphine Equivalents Total (Mgs)	Total dose of morphine equivalents (IV equivalent of morphine) taken by the participant 0-72 hours after completion of the TAP block.	72 hours
Time to First PCA Request	The elapsed time in minutes of the first PCA (patient controlled analgesia) request in time (minutes) from the end of the TAP block.	Elapsed time in minutes
Pain Scores at Rest	Pain scores at rest ( 0 low 10 high) using an 11 point VRS (verbal pain scale) at the following hour time points, at the first request for patient controlled analgesia (PCA) then at 2,6,24,and 74 hours after the first request for PCA (patient controlled analgesia).	Request for first patient controlled analgesia then at 2,6,24,72 hours after initial PCA request
Pain Scores With Movement	Pain scores with movement ( 0 low 10 high) using an 11 point VRS (verbal pain scale) at the first request for patient controlled analgesia (PCA) then at 2,6,24,and 74 hours after the first request for PCA (patient controlled analgesia).	First PCA request then at 2,6,24,72 hours after first PCA request.
Pain Burden at Rest	Pain burden at rest calculated as area under the pain score * time (hr) curve 0-72 hours.	72 hours
Pain Burden With Movement	Pain burden with movement calculated as area under the pain score * time (hr) curve 0-72 hours.	72 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Northwestern University
• Investigators: Study Director: David Walega, M.D., Northwestern University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• McDonnell JG, O'Donnell B, Curley G, Heffernan A, Power C, Laffey JG. The analgesic efficacy of transversus abdominis plane block after abdominal surgery: a prospective randomized controlled trial. Anesth Analg. 2007 Jan;104(1):193-7. doi: 10.1213/01.ane.0000250223.49963.0f. Erratum In: Anesth Analg. 2007 May;104(5):1108.
• McDonnell JG, Curley G, Carney J, Benton A, Costello J, Maharaj CH, Laffey JG. The analgesic efficacy of transversus abdominis plane block after cesarean delivery: a randomized controlled trial. Anesth Analg. 2008 Jan;106(1):186-91, table of contents. doi: 10.1213/01.ane.0000290294.64090.f3.
• O'Donnell BD, McDonnell JG, McShane AJ. The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in open retropubic prostatectomy. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2006 Jan-Feb;31(1):91. doi: 10.1016/j.rapm.2005.10.006. No abstract available. Erratum In: Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2006 May-Jun;31(3):286. McDonnell, John G [added]; McShane, Alan J [added].
• Loos MJ, Scheltinga MR, Mulders LG, Roumen RM. The Pfannenstiel incision as a source of chronic pain. Obstet Gynecol. 2008 Apr;111(4):839-46. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e31816a4efa.
• Siddik SM, Aouad MT, Jalbout MI, Rizk LB, Kamar GH, Baraka AS. Diclofenac and/or propacetamol for postoperative pain management after cesarean delivery in patients receiving patient controlled analgesia morphine. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2001 Jul-Aug;26(4):310-5. doi: 10.1053/rapm.2001.21828.
• Lowder JL, Shackelford DP, Holbert D, Beste TM. A randomized, controlled trial to compare ketorolac tromethamine versus placebo after cesarean section to reduce pain and narcotic usage. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2003 Dec;189(6):1559-62; discussion 1562. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2003.08.014.
• Cardoso MM, Carvalho JC, Amaro AR, Prado AA, Cappelli EL. Small doses of intrathecal morphine combined with systemic diclofenac for postoperative pain control after cesarean delivery. Anesth Analg. 1998 Mar;86(3):538-41. doi: 10.1097/00000539-199803000-00017.
• Walter EJ, Smith P, Albertyn R, Uncles DR. Ultrasound imaging for transversus abdominis blocks. Anaesthesia. 2008 Feb;63(2):211. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2007.05424.x. No abstract available.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: January 1, 2010
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 1, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): January 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 23, 2010
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 26, 2010
• First Posted (Estimate): July 27, 2010

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 8, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 7, 2021
• Last Verified: December 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Cesarean Delivery; TAP block; Ropivicaine
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Postoperative Complications; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Pain, Postoperative; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Central Nervous System Depressants; Peripheral Nervous System Agents; Sensory System Agents; Anesthetics; Anesthetics, Local; Ropivacaine
• Other Study ID Numbers: STU00008429

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO