Effect of Hormonal Cahanges During Menstrual Cycle on Subcostal Transversus Abdominis Plane Block

Overview

Fascial plane blocks are traditionally considered regional anesthesia techniques, where a mixture of local anesthetic (LA) is injected into a plane between two fascial layers, with the aim of spreading along this anatomical plane to block the nerves lying within or passing through it . Various pathophysiological processes that alter the structure and characteristics of fasciae can affect the spread of the local anesthetic and the success of the block. Diabetes, hormonal changes, and cannabinoid use are among these factors. This study aims to investigate the effects of hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle on subcostal TAP block.

Female patients scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy at Adıyaman University Training and Research Hospital, who have been informed about the study and have provided written consent to participate, will be included in the study. The patients who agree to participate will be divided into groups based on the phases of their menstrual cycles. After ensuring airway safety under general anesthesia, a bilateral TAP block using 20 cc of 0.25% bupivacaine with a subcostal approach under ultrasound guidance will be administered to both groups. The study aims to compare the hemodynamic values (arterial blood pressure, heart rate, peripheral oxygen saturation) during the perioperative period, the visual analog scale (VAS) scores postoperatively, and the Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) scores at 24 hours postoperatively between the two groups. This will allow for the investigation of the effects of hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle on the efficacy and success of subcostal TAP blocks.