TAP Block Timing Study

Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) Blocks in Bariatric and General Surgery: Does Timing Matter?

This study investigates whether administering TAP blocks pre-incision provides superior postoperative pain control and reduces opioid use along with other medications compared to post-incision administration in patients undergoing elective abdominal surgeries.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Bariatric Surgery Patients; Bariatric or General Abdominal Surgeries
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: TAP Block

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 150
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Cheguevara Afaneh, MD; Phone Number: +1 646 962 8462; Email: cha9043@med.cornell.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Hasan Ali; Email: hoa4002@qatar-med.cornell.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • New York, New York, United States, 10065
      • Recruiting
      • Weill Cornell Medical College - NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
      • Principal Investigator: Cheguevara Afaneh, MD
      • Contact: Hasan Ali; Phone Number: (646) 962-8462; Email: hoa4002@qatar-med.cornell.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults aged between 18 and 65 years
• Scheduled for elective bariatric surgery or other elective general abdominal surgeries
• Proficient in English sufficient to understand study procedures and communicate effectively
• Capable of providing informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals under 18 years of age (minors)
• Pregnant individuals
• Prisoners
• Individuals with cognitive impairments or otherwise unable to provide informed consent independently
• Individuals with known allergies or contraindications to local anesthetics used in TAP blocks

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Other: Pre-Incision; TAP block administration pre-incision	Other: TAP Block; the TAP block is a regional anesthesia technique that targets the somatic nerves supplying the anterior abdominal wall.
Other: Post-Incision; TAP block administration post-incision	Other: TAP Block; the TAP block is a regional anesthesia technique that targets the somatic nerves supplying the anterior abdominal wall.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mean change in opioid consumption (MME) from index procedure to 90 days post-op	Opioid dosage quantities will be measured in morphine milligram equivalents (MME)	Up to 90 days post-operatively
Change in Pain Scores from index procedure on a numerical rating scale	Patient-reported pain on a scale of 1-10.	1, 3, 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
1. Total Opioid Consumption in MME from Surgery to 90 Days Postoperatively	Sum of all opioid use from surgery to 90 days, in MME	From end of surgery to 90 days post-op.
Patient Satisfaction Score with Postoperative Pain Management at Discharge	Satisfaction score using a 5-point Likert scale survey before discharge.	At hospital discharge (within 3-5 days post-op)
Use of Non-Opioid Analgesics within 72 Hours	Count of participants receiving non-opioid pain medications (e.g. acetaminophen, NSAIDs) within 72 hours post-op, including amount and type.	From end of surgery to 72 hours post-op
Number of Participants with TAP Block-Related Adverse Events	Incidence of adverse events (e.g. local anesthetic toxicity, infection, bleeding) related to TAP block.	From TAP block administration to 90 days post-op.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Weill Medical College of Cornell University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Cheguevara Afaneh, MD, Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 14, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 2, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 2, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): July 14, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 27, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 26, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: bariatric analgesia
• Other Study ID Numbers: 25-04028793

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data that underlie the results reported in this article, after deidentification (text, tables, figures, and appendices)
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: beginning at 9 months and ending 36 months following article publication
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Investigators whose proposed use of the data has been approved by an independent review committee (:learned intermediary:) identifies for this purpose. Proposals may be submitted up to 36 months following article publication. After 36 months the data will be available in our University's data warehouse but without the investigator support other than deposited metadata.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No