Comparison of External Oblique Intercostal Plane Block and Subcostal Transversus Abdominis Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia After Open Radical Gastrectomy: A Single-Blind Randomized Trial
- 1Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Liv Topkapı Hospital, İstinye University, İstanbul 34010, Turkey
- 2Anesthesiology and Reanimation Clinic, Sorgun State Hospital, Yozgat 66700, Turkey
- 3Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, School of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri 38030, Turkey
Abstract
Background: Ultrasound-guided fascial plane blocks are increasingly incorporated into multimodal analgesia for upper abdominal surgery. Although both the external oblique intercostal plane (EOIP) block and the subcostal transversus abdominis plane (scTAP) block have been used for postoperative analgesia, evidence directly comparing their efficacy after open radical gastrectomy is lacking. We compared the postoperative analgesic efficacy of bilateral EOIP and bilateral scTAP blocks in patients undergoing open radical gastrectomy. Methods: In this prospective, single-center, randomized, patient-blinded trial, 60 adults undergoing elective open radical gastrectomy were randomly assigned to receive either a bilateral ultrasound-guided EOIP block or a bilateral scTAP block. The primary outcome was cumulative morphine consumption during the first 24 postoperative hours. Secondary outcomes included postoperative Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scores, rescue analgesic requirements, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and length of hospital stay. Results: Thirty patients were analyzed in each group. 24 h cumulative morphine consumption did not differ significantly between the EOIP and scTAP groups (24.3 ± 11.4 mg vs. 22.4 ± 8.8 mg, respectively; mean difference 1.9 mg, 95% confidence interval −3.10 to 6.97; p = 0.47). Morphine consumption at 2, 6, and 12 h also showed no statistically significant differences. Postoperative NRS scores showed no significant differences at any time point. Rescue analgesic requirements and the proportion of patients experiencing PONV episodes did not differ significantly between the groups. No complications were observed. Conclusions: Among patients undergoing open radical gastrectomy, no statistically significant differences were detected between bilateral EOIP and bilateral scTAP blocks in postoperative opioid consumption, pain scores, rescue analgesic requirements, or PONV. These findings do not establish equivalence or efficacy relative to standard care without a block and warrant confirmation in larger multicenter trials.
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BibTeX
@article{mamasaliev2026comparison,
title = {{Comparison of External Oblique Intercostal Plane Block and Subcostal Transversus Abdominis Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia After Open Radical Gastrectomy: A Single-Blind Randomized Trial}},
author = {Uson Mamasaliev and Ahmet Taşar and Ersin Sönmez and Gamze Talih and Ayşe Ülgey},
journal = {Journal of clinical medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/jcm15197736},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13666213},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Comparison of External Oblique Intercostal Plane Block and Subcostal Transversus Abdominis Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia After Open Radical Gastrectomy: A Single-Blind Randomized Trial
AU - Uson Mamasaliev
AU - Ahmet Taşar
AU - Ersin Sönmez
AU - Gamze Talih
AU - Ayşe Ülgey
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Journal of clinical medicine
DO - 10.3390/jcm15197736
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13666213
AB - Background: Ultrasound-guided fascial plane blocks are increasingly incorporated into multimodal analgesia for upper abdominal surgery. Although both the external oblique intercostal plane (EOIP) block and the subcostal transversus abdominis plane (scTAP) block have been used for postoperative analgesia, evidence directly comparing their efficacy after open radical gastrectomy is lacking. We compared the postoperative analgesic efficacy of bilateral EOIP and bilateral scTAP blocks in patients undergoing open radical gastrectomy. Methods: In this prospective, single-center, randomized, patient-blinded trial, 60 adults undergoing elective open radical gastrectomy were randomly assigned to receive either a bilateral ultrasound-guided EOIP block or a bilateral scTAP block. The primary outcome was cumulative morphine consumption during the first 24 postoperative hours. Secondary outcomes included postoperative Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scores, rescue analgesic requirements, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and length of hospital stay. Results: Thirty patients were analyzed in each group. 24 h cumulative morphine consumption did not differ significantly between the EOIP and scTAP groups (24.3 ± 11.4 mg vs. 22.4 ± 8.8 mg, respectively; mean difference 1.9 mg, 95% confidence interval −3.10 to 6.97; p = 0.47). Morphine consumption at 2, 6, and 12 h also showed no statistically significant differences. Postoperative NRS scores showed no significant differences at any time point. Rescue analgesic requirements and the proportion of patients experiencing PONV episodes did not differ significantly between the groups. No complications were observed. Conclusions: Among patients undergoing open radical gastrectomy, no statistically significant differences were detected between bilateral EOIP and bilateral scTAP blocks in postoperative opioid consumption, pain scores, rescue analgesic requirements, or PONV. These findings do not establish equivalence or efficacy relative to standard care without a block and warrant confirmation in larger multicenter trials.
SN - 2077-0383
ER -