Analgesic Benefits of Ultrasound-Guided Thoraco-Abdominal Wall Peripheral Nerve Blocks

Peripheral nerve blocks have been associated with decreased opiate consumption along with decreased associated side effects, improved pain scores, improved patient satisfaction scores, and decreased hospital length of stay. The aim of this review is to describe the use of ultrasound-guided thoraco-abdominal wall peripheral nerve blocks for perioperative analgesia.

This review article discusses the indications, anatomy, techniques, risks, and available clinical evidence of ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP), paravertebral, PECS, rectus sheath, and ilioinguinal/ iliohypogastric truncal blocks to update practitioners on the utility of these interventions in perioperative pain management.

The increased use of ultrasound guidance in the performance of regional anesthesia has increased the tools available to physicians to provide analgesia in patients with thoraco-abdominal pain after surgery and trauma.