Ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block versus transversus abdominis plane block in patients undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy

Background: Ultrasound (US)-guided quadratus lumborum block (QLB) and transversus abdominis plane block (TAP) are used as a part of multimodal analgesia for postoperative pain after abdominal procedures, as they improve postoperative pain. Results: QLB group showed significantly better visual analog score (VAS) scores from 6 h till 24 h postoperative. Time for the first request for pethidine was significantly longer in the QLB group (398.3 +/- 23.7 min) than in the TAP group (80.3 +/- 20.7 min), (p < 0.0001 and its total consumption was significantly lesser (p = 0.007) in the QLB group (68.33 +/- 66.28) than in TAP group (120.0 +/- 76.11). Also, the sensory level was higher in the QLB group (83 +/- 0.63 segments) than in the TAP group (6.2 +/- 0.79 segments), (p < 0.001). Moreover, only 2 patients (6.67%) in the QLB group experienced nausea and/or vomiting versus 9 (30%) in TAP group with significant value. Conclusions: QLB was more effective in providing visceral and somatic pain analgesia after total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) in comparison to TAP block, QLB resulted in wider sensory blockade compared to TAP block with less incidence of postoperative nausea and/or vomiting.