Overview

Trial of a Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) Block in Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery

Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2011-12-01
Target enrollment:
0
Participant gender:
All
Summary
Keyhole surgery for bowel disease has brought great benefits, enabling patients to recover quicker from surgery and so return to normal activities. Although keyhole surgery reduces pain following abdominal surgery, it still causes enough pain to require strong pain killing medications such as morphine-like drugs which, although good pain killers, can have a detrimental effect on the recovery of bowel function, leading to feelings of nausea and vomiting and ultimately delaying recovery. These side-effects can reduce the potential benefits from keyhole surgery and our "fast-track" recovery programmes. The aim of this project is to assess the effectiveness of a new method of pain control after keyhole bowel surgery. The study involves the injection of local anaesthetic into the abdominal muscles once the patient is anaesthetised. Although use of local anaesthetic is common practice, we are looking at a new technique of injecting it called a transversus abdominis plane (or TAP) block. This technique will attempt to block the pain nerves to the abdomen prior to the operation beginning. We plan to investigate whether this new technique will reduce the amount of pain following keyhole bowel surgery. If successful, it might be used to further enhance people's recovery from bowel surgery.
Phase:
N/A
Accepts Healthy Volunteers?
No
Details
Lead Sponsor:
University of Nottingham
Treatments:
Levobupivacaine
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

- Patients undergoing elective laparoscopic colorectal resection at the Queen's Medical
Centre, Nottingham

Exclusion Criteria:

- Known allergies to the local anaesthetic

- Any condition which may cause tolerance to opiates (eg chronic opioid use)

- Inability to use a PCA

- Patients less than 45kgs for whom local anaesthetic toxicity may become an issue

- Adults unable to consent for themselves