What is a TAP block procedure?
What is a TAP block procedure?
A transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a technique used to inject anesthesia into a space in your abdominal muscles on your side. This will block the nerves from sending any pain. signals from your incision and help control pain after surgery.
What is a TAP block and why is it performed?
What is a TAP block? A TAP or transversus abdominis plane block numbs the abdominal muscles and skin in preparation for surgery. A transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a procedure to anesthetize the nerves that provide sensation and muscle function to the abdominal wall and skin.
What are TAP blocks good for?
The TAP block is a simple procedure that can be used as an adjunct for postoperative pain control in abdominal, gynecologic , or urologic surgery involving the T6 to L1 distribution.
Which nerves are blocked in TAP block?
These include the intercostal nerves (T7-T11), the subcostal nerve (T12), and the iliohypogastric and ilioinguinal nerves (L1). Figure 1. Cutaneous innervation of the abdominal wall . Coloured region is mostly blocked by a single injection posterior TAP block.
Is a TAP block painful?
A TAP block is done to numb the upper and lower abdomen. After a TAP block, a person should not be able to feel pain during abdominal, gynecological, and urological procedures and surgeries.
Are you awake for a TAP block?
The TAP block can be performed preoperatively, intraoperatively, or postoperatively. The patient does not need to be awake for the procedure, and in fact, the authors prefer to do it while the patient is under either general or spinal anesthesia.
How long does TAP block last?
Patient Instructions Patients must be educated first about the expected length of analgesic effect. The duration of action of this block is variable, with one source reporting up to 36 hours of effective analgesia from a single injection. Anecdotally, we find the TAP blocks to last anywhere from 18-24 hours.
What medication is used for a TAP block?
The TAP block is used as part of the multimodal analgesia management for abdominal surgeries that include the use of at least two non-opioid analgesic agents (e.g., acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, gabapentinoids, IV lidocaine, ketamine or local anesthetic wound infiltration) in addition to oral or …
Can you walk after a TAP block?
Can I walk after my TAP block? You can and should walk after your surgery. Walking is one of the most important activities you can do to help you recover from your surgery.