RIPB Versus EOIPB for Pain Control After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Overview

This prospective observational study aims to compare the effects of bilateral ultrasound-guided recto-intercostal plane block(RIPB) and bilateral ultrasound-guided external oblique intercostal plane block(EOIPB) on postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia. Both blocks are performed after anesthesia induction as part of routine preemptive multimodal analgesia practice. Patients who receive bilateral recto-intercostal plane block will be included in the RIPB group, and patients who receive bilateral external oblique intercostal plane block will be included in the EOIPB group. The primary outcome is cumulative intravenous tramadol consumption via patient-controlled analgesia during the first 24 postoperative hours. Secondary outcomes include postoperative pain scores at rest and during activity, rescue analgesic requirement, postoperative nausea and vomiting, time to mobilization, length of hospital stay, quality of recovery assessed using the Quality of Recovery-15 questionnaire, and block-related complications.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is one of the most commonly performed minimally invasive abdominal surgical procedures. Although it is associated with less postoperative pain and faster recovery compared with open surgery, postoperative pain may still occur due to trocar insertion, abdominal wall trauma, pneumoperitoneum-related peritoneal irritation, and visceral manipulation. Inadequate analgesia may delay mobilization, increase analgesic consumption, contribute to postoperative nausea and vomiting, and negatively affect postoperative recovery. Ultrasound-guided fascial plane blocks are increasingly used as part of multimodal analgesia strategies for abdominal surgery. These techniques may reduce postoperative analgesic requirements by targeting the thoracoabdominal nerve branches that supply the abdominal wall. The recto-intercostal plane block and the external oblique intercostal plane block are two ultrasound-guided fascial plane blocks that may provide analgesia for the upper abdominal wall through different anatomical planes. This study is designed as a prospective observational study in patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia. Patients will be included according to the regional analgesia technique performed as part of routine clinical practice. Patients receiving bilateral recto-intercostal plane block will form the RIPB group, while patients receiving bilateral external oblique intercostal plane block will form the EOIPB group. Both blocks will be performed after anesthesia induction as part of a preemptive analgesia approach. All patients will receive standardized general anesthesia and routine postoperative multimodal analgesia. Intravenous tramadol will be administered postoperatively using a patient-controlled analgesia device. Postoperative pain intensity will be evaluated using the Numeric Rating Scale at predetermined time points during the first 24 hours. Total tramadol consumption, rescue analgesic requirement, postoperative nausea and vomiting, quality of recovery, mobilization time, length of hospital stay, and possible block-related complications will be recorded. The study aims to determine whether recto-intercostal plane block provides superior postoperative analgesia compared with external oblique intercostal plane block in patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy.