The Effect of Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Kidney Transplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of transversus abdominal (TAP) block for postoperative analgesia after renal transplantation. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database for relevant studies. The related trials that met the inclusion criteria were analysed using RevMan 5.4 software. Results: We found 15 randomized controlled trials and two retrospective studies that, on meta-analysis, showed that TAP block group had significantly lower requirement of opioid consumption (MD −11.89, 95% CI −17.13∼−6.65) at 24 h for pain mitigation and pain intensity VAS at rest at 6h (MD −1.13, 95% CI −1.76∼−0.49), 12 h (MD −0.83, 95% CI −1.30∼−0.36) and 24 h (MD −0.47, 95% CI −0.75∼−0.20). Also, postoperative nausea and vomiting were not statistically significant (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.78∼1.27). Conclusion: TAP block appears to significantly reduce renal transplantation pain and the amount of opioid use on the first postoperative day after renal transplantation.