Comparison of analgesic efficacy of continuous transversus abdominis plane block with continuous epidural analgesia in patients undergoing abdominal surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background A novel technique of continuous transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB) has been reported to be beneficial to patients undergoing abdominal surgery because it can significantly relieve postoperative pain. The aim of our study is to compare this novel technique with a traditional technique of continuous epidural analgesia (EA).Methods We conducted our meta-analysis in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the efficacy of continuous TAPB and continuous EA to relieve postoperative pain were included. Patients were classified by nationality (Chinese, non-Chinese) for the subgroup analysis.Results Nine RCTs with 598 patients were included in our study. Pain levels measured by visual analog scale (VAS) scores at rest on postoperative day 1 were equivalent for continuous TAPB groups and continuous EA groups in non-Chinese and Chinese patients. The TAPB groups experienced a lower rate of hypotension, sensorimotor disorder, and nausea compared with the continuous EA group within 48 hours after surgery.Conclusion Continuous TAPB and continuous EA are equally effective in relieving postoperative pain at rest 24 hours after surgery, but EA was associated with more side effects such as hypotension, nausea, and sensorimotor disorder.