Transverse Abdominis Plane Block for Anterior Approach Spine Surgery

Therapeutic, prospective, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, in intention to treat, monocentric study to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of a bilateral TAP block after spine surgery with 24 hours morphine consumption

ALIF is a commonly performed procedure for the treatment of degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine or spondylolisthesis. This technique has many advantages attributed to the absence of posterior spinal muscular pain, a more direct visualization of the disk space, lower incidence of neurological injuries… However, patients experienced moderate to high post operative parietal abdominal pain due to this specific anterior approach. The systematic need for opioids administration may cause many complications and delay the post operative recovery time. The TAP block has been described as an effective pain control technique after various lower abdominal surgeries, reducing both pain scores and 24 hours opioids consumption. However the analgesic efficacy of this technique on specific parietal abdominal pain experienced after spine surgery by anterior approach is not clear