Transversus abdominis plane block: a review of the technique and its efficacy

Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is now a commonly used regional anesthesia technique. It can provide unilateral analgesia to the skin and muscles of lower abdominal wall. Original TAP block was introduced as regional abdominal field infiltration technique using landmarks. Use of ultrasound for TAP blocks enabled to perform safe and reliable block procedure. The indication for this block has been extended especially for lower abdominal surgeries. There are two concepts for TAP blocks. By subcostal to lateral TAP blocks, spread of local anesthetic is on the transvers abdominis plane. By, posterior TAP blocks including quadratus lumborum block, the target of local anesthetic is paravertebral space. The efficiency of these two techniques should be evaluated by prospective studies.