Ultrasound Guided Retrolaminar Block Versus Transverse Abdominis Plane Block in Laparoscopic Upper Abdominal Surgeries

Safety and Efficacy of Ultrasound Guided Retrolaminar Block Versus Transverse Abdominis Plane Block on Quality of Recovery in Laparoscopic Upper Abdominal Surgeries: A Randomized Comparative Clinical Trial

This study aims to compare and evaluate the safety and efficacy of ultrasound guided retrolaminar block versus transverse abdominis plane block in laparoscopic upper abdominal surgeries. Both RLB and TAP blockade are hypothesized to reduce analgesic consumption, manage pain effectively and minimize side effects but their comparative effectiveness has not yet to be thoroughly explored.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Retrolaminar Block; TAP Block; Laparoscopic Abdominal Surgeries
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Ultrasound-guided Retrolaminar Block group; Procedure: Transverses Abdominis Plane (TAP) Block Group

Detailed Description

Laparoscopic surgery is now a widely accepted practice, offering several advantages, including better cosmetic outcomes, increased patient satisfaction, and shorter hospital stays . The complexity and range of procedures performed laparoscopically have grown significantly, now including complex operations like cholecystectomy, nephrectomy, hernia repair, and an increasing number of emergency surgeries .

Despite these benefits, postoperative pain following laparoscopic procedures, such as cholecystectomy, can be substantial and hinder recovery . This pain may negatively affect respiratory function, delay ambulation, and ultimately prolong their hospital stay. Historically, pain management has often relied on high doses of narcotics, which may lead to complications like dizziness, respiratory depression, and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) . These drawbacks have spurred the search for alternative and improved pain relief strategies .

Ultrasound-guided nerve blocks have become an essential component of multimodal postoperative analgesia due to their effectiveness, precision, and safety profile . One of such techniques is the Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) block, which is used as part of a comprehensive strategy to optimize postoperative pain control. Local anesthetic is injected into the neurovascular plane of the abdominal wall . The TAP block works by providing sensory blockade to the spinal nerves that run between the internal oblique and transverse abdominis muscles. The anesthetic infiltration affects the thoracic intercostal nerves, the ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerves, and the lateral cutaneous branches of the lumbar nerves.

Another important technique is the Retrolaminar Block (RLB), introduced in 2006 as a simpler alternative to the thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) . The RLB is less invasive because it targets the bony vertebral lamina, unlike the TPVB, which requires puncturing the superior costotransverse ligament . The procedure involves injecting a local anesthetic (LA) into the fascial plane located between the posterior thoracic lamina and the overlying transversus spinae muscles allowing spread of the local anesthetic to the thoracic paravertebral and epidural spaces, thus the blockade of the dorsal branch of the spinal nerves that cross the retrolaminar plane .Studies, including cadaveric models, have confirmed that the anesthetic injected during an RLB spreads through the intertransverse ligaments into the paravertebral and epidural spaces, effectively numbing 2-4 spinal segments . For instance, a 2022 clinical trial showed that ultrasound-guided RLBs significantly reduced opioid consumption in patients recovering from laparoscopic cholecystectomy compared to conventional pain management , highlighting its potential as a safe and effective option.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 164
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: mohamed elnagar Mohamed A. Elnagar MB BCh, MB BCh; Phone Number: +20 1009344804; Email: melnaggar789@gmail.com

Study Locations

• Egypt
  • Dakahlia Governorate
    • Al Mansurah, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt
      • Mansoura University
      • Contact: mohamed a Mohamed A. Elnagar MB BCh, MB BCh; Phone Number: +20 1009344804; Email: melnaggar789@gmail.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age between 21 and 65 years.
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I or II.
• Body mass index (BMI) less than 30 kg/m².
• Scheduled for elective laparoscopic upper abdominal surgery under general anesthesia.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Refusal to participate in the study.
• Known allergy or hypersensitivity to any of the study drugs.
• Infection at the planned block insertion site.
• Severe uncontrolled cardiac, renal, hepatic, neurological, or respiratory disease.
• Pre-existing chronic pain.
• Immunodeficiency.
• Coagulation abnormalities, anticoagulant therapy, or platelet count less than 80,000/µL.
• Emergency surgery.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Retrolaminar Block Group; Patients will receive an ultrasound-guided retrolaminar block using 20 ml of 0.25% of bupivacaine administered at the T7 level at both sides	Procedure: Ultrasound-guided Retrolaminar Block group; Ultrasound-guided bilateral retrolaminar block performed before surgery using the study local anesthetic.
Active Comparator: Transverses Abdominis Plane (TAP) Block Group; Patients will receive an ultrasound-guided TAP block using 20 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine at both sids	Procedure: Transverses Abdominis Plane (TAP) Block Group; Ultrasound-guided bilateral transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block performed before surgery using the study local anesthetic.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The postoperative Quality of Recovery-15 score	The Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) questionnaire consists of 15 items. The total score ranges from 0 to 150, with higher scores indicating better postoperative recovery.	24 hour postoperative

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) at rest and during coughing	Postoperative pain intensity at rest and during coughing will be assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). The NRS ranges from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst pain . Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity (worse outcome).	Immediately after arrival in the post-anesthesia care unit (0 hours), and at 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery.
Total dose of rescue analgesics administered (mg) within the first 24 hours after surgery	The cumulative dose of rescue postoperative analgesics administered to each participant during the first 24 hours after surgery will be recorded. Higher values indicate greater postoperative analgesic requirements.	From the end of surgery to 24 hours after surgery.
Time to first postoperative opioid analgesic request (hours)	Time from the end of surgery until the first postoperative request for opioid analgesia	From the end of surgery until the first request for opioid analgesia, up to 24 hours postoperatively
Duration of hospital stay	Duration of hospital stay, measured as the number of days from the date of surgery until hospital discharge.	From the date of surgery until hospital discharge, assessed for up to 30 days after surgery
Mean intraoperative mean arterial pressure (mmHg)	Mean arterial pressure (MAP), measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg), will be recorded during surgery	At baseline (before block), immediately after block (0 minutes), at 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after block , or until the end of surgery, whichever occurs first.
Mean intraoperative heart rate (beats/min)	Heart rate (HR), measured in beats per minute (beats/min), will be recorded during surgery	At baseline (before block), immediately after block (0 minutes), at 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after block , or until the end of surgery, whichever occurs first.
Mean intraoperative peripheral oxygen saturation (%)	Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂), measured as percentage (%), will be recorded during surgery	At baseline (before block), immediately after block (0 minutes), at 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after block , or until the end of surgery, whichever occurs first.
Number of participants with postoperative nausea	Number of participants who experienced postoperative nausea	From the end of surgery to 24 hours after surgery
Number of participants with postoperative vomiting	Number of participants who experienced postoperative vomiting	From the end of surgery to 24 hours after surgery
Number of participants with postoperative shivering	Number of participants who experienced postoperative shivering	From the end of surgery to 24 hours after surgery
Number of participants with postoperative hypotension	Number of participants who experienced postoperative hypotension	From the end of surgery to 24 hours after surgery
Number of participants with postoperative bradycardia	Number of participants who experienced postoperative bradycardia	From the end of surgery to 24 hours after surgery
Number of participants with postoperative headache	Number of participants who experienced postoperative headache	From the end of surgery to 24 hours after surgery
Total intraoperative ephedrine dose administered (mg)	The cumulative dose of ephedrine administered intraoperatively for the treatment of hypotension, measured in milligrams (mg).	From induction of anesthesia until the end of surgery
Number of participants requiring intraoperative ephedrine administration	Number of participants who required ephedrine administration for the treatment of intraoperative hypotension.	From induction of anesthesia until the end of surgery

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Mansoura University
• Investigators: Study Chair: hatem saber mohamed ali, Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University; Study Chair: Naglaa A Elnegeery, Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University; Study Director: Ola Shawky Naguib El Nagar, Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): July 15, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 1, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 17, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): July 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 22, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 17, 2026
• Last Verified: July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: Retrolamianr and TAP blocks

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

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