Comparison of Postoperative Analgesic Effects of Quadro-iliac Plane Block and Transversus Abdominis Plane Blocks in Inguinal Hernia Surgery

Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures worldwide. Despite being classified as a minor surgical intervention, moderate to severe postoperative pain is reported in approximately 60% of patients. In a subset of these patients, acute postoperative pain may persist and evolve into chronic post-surgical inguinal pain, significantly affecting quality of life.

In recent years, beyond the use of systemic intravenous analgesics, ultrasound-guided fascial plane blocks have been increasingly incorporated into multimodal analgesia protocols with the aim of reducing postoperative opioid consumption and improving pain control. However, the current literature does not provide definitive evidence regarding the superiority of one block technique over another in this surgical population.

The primary objective of the present study is to compare the analgesic efficacy of the Quadro-iliac Plane Block (QIPB) and the transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB) in patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Hernia, Inguinal; Pain Management; Peripheral Nerve Block
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: TAPB; Procedure: QIPB

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Musa Zengin, Associate Professor; Phone Number: +905307716235; Email: musazengin@gmail.com
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Ibrahim Topcu, MD; Phone Number: +905437860316; Email: ibrahimtpc78@gmail.com

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Yenimahalle\Ankara
    • Ankara, Yenimahalle\Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye), 06170
      • Recruiting
      • Ankara Etlik City Hospital
      • Contact: İbrahim MD Topcu; Phone Number: 05437860316; Email: ibrahimtpc78@gmail.com
      • Contact: Musa Assoc.Prof Zengin; Phone Number: 00905307716235; Email: musazengin@gmail.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients aged between 18 and 65 years
• Patients with an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification of I-III.
• Patients with a body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 30 kg/m².
• Patients scheduled to undergo unilateral inguinal hernia repair under general anesthesia in the operating room.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients younger than 18 years or older than 65 years.
• Patients with an ASA physical status classification of IV or higher.
• Patients with advanced comorbidities.
• Patients with a history of bleeding diathesis.
• Patients with infection at the site of the planned procedure.
• Patients with a BMI below 18 kg/m² or above 30 kg/m².

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: TAPB; After the patients were placed under observation, positioned in the supine position, and appropriate area sterilization was performed, TAPB was administered to the patients with 30 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine under ultrasound guidance.	Procedure: TAPB; Patients will undergo TAPB procedure using 30 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine under ultrasound guidance.
Active Comparator: QIPB; After the patients were placed under observation, positioned in the lateral decubitus position, and appropriate area sterilization was performed, QIPB was administered to the patients with 30 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine under ultrasound guidance.	Procedure: QIPB; Patients will undergo QIPB procedure using 30 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine under ultrasound guidance.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain Score	Pain will be assessed using a visual analog scale from 0 mm (no pain) to 100 mm (worst pain) at rest and when coughing. Pain assessment will be made at 0, 1, 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours after surgery.	Up to 24 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Patient Satisfaction	Quality of recovery-15 (QoR-15) score was used as the satisfaction score. The patient-reported Turkish QoR-15 score includes 15 questions that evaluate the patient's postoperative recovery. The QoR-15 score is grouped under two groups, A and B. A high QoR-15 score, a score between 0 (poor) and 10 (excellent) for each item, and a total score of 150 indicate better quality of recovery.	24th hour

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ankara Etlik City Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 2, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 5, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 19, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 24, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 24, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 2, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 3, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 2, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Transversus Abdominis Plane Block; Quadro Iliac Plane Block
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Hernia; Hernia, Abdominal; Perceptual Disorders; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Hernia, Inguinal; Agnosia; 1,3-bis(4-amidinophenoxy)-2-(4-amidinophenoxymethyl)ethylpropane
• Other Study ID Numbers: AEŞH-EK-2026-017

Drug and device information, study documents

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