Comparison of Postoperative Analgesic Efficacy of Transversus Abdominis Plane Block (TAP) and Modified Thoracoabdominal Nerve Block (M-TAPA)

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a frequently performed surgical procedure and is considered the gold standard for treating symptomatic gallstone disease. Although laparoscopic cholecystectomy is considered minimally invasive, it can cause moderate to severe pain in the postoperative period. Poorly controlled early postoperative pain can impair recovery quality and increase the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications as a risk factor for chronic pain development. Multimodal analgesia, including opioids, is used to limit pain following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. However, opioid treatment may lead to side effects such as postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), respiratory depression, and constipation.

Nerve blocks provide better pain control, reduce opioid consumption in the postoperative period, and offer advantages such as fewer side effects and a lower risk of pulmonary and cardiac complications.

In our clinic, a multimodal analgesia approach is preferred for patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In addition to intravenous analgesic agents, peripheral nerve blocks are administered based on patient preference (for all eligible and consenting patients).

This study aims to compare the postoperative analgesic efficacy of the Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) Block and the Modified Thoracoabdominal Nerve Block with a Pericostal Approach (M-TAPA) in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Standard analgesic methods are applied to patients who do not consent to peripheral nerve block administration.