Ultrasound-Guided Transversalis Fascia Plane Block Versus Caudal Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Children Undergoing Inguinal Herniorrhaphy

Ultrasound-Guided Transversalis Fascia Plane Block Versus Caudal Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Children Undergoing Inguinal Herniorrhaphy: A Randomized Controlled Non-Inferiority Trial

The aim of this study is to compare ultrasound-guided transversalis fascia plane block and caudal block for postoperative analgesia in children undergoing inguinal herniorrhaphy.

Surgical repair of inguinal hernia is one of the most common day-case surgeries in the pediatric population. It is associated with significant postoperative pain and discomfort.

Caudal block analgesia is a popular and reliable technique for lower abdominal surgeries and found to be safe and effective for providing intra and postoperative analgesia in pediatric patients.

transversal fascia plane block (TFPB) aims to provide analgesia for invasive procedures of the inguinal and sublingual areas by blocking the subcostal (T12), ilioinguinal (L1) and iliohypogastric (T12-L1) nerves. Several studies have reported TFPB as the analgesic method of choice for procedures involving the T12-L1 dermatome region, including iliac bone graft harvesting, cesarean section, and inguinal hernia repair

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age from 1 to 7 years.
• Both sexes.
• American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) physical status I-II.
• Scheduled for inguinal herniorrhaphy under general anesthesia (GA).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Repeated surgeries.
• Known allergic reactions to any of the study's drugs.
• Infection at the site of block needle entry.
• Bleeding diathesis.
• Neurological disorders.