Abstract
management of acute perioperative pain for abdominal and chest wall procedures has widely changed over the years. Neuraxial analgesia along with possible opioid administration were once the standard of care for postoperative pain control. Those methods however were accompanied by complications and increased costs due to the invasive nature of epidural/intrathecal methods and increased abuse potential with opiate administration.(1) Alternative techniques such as truncal nerve blocks have changed the management of perioperative pain for intrabdominal and intrathoracic procedures. These blocks utilize ultrasound guided regional anesthesia to provide safe and effective pain control with surgery. Truncal nerve blocks are now one of the key components of multimodal pain management.(2)
This review aims to explore the different forms of truncal nerve blocks and their impact on approaching perioperative pain management. The review will go in depth on the transversus abdominis block (TAP block), the rectus sheath block, the quadratus lumborum block, the erector spinae block, the serratus anterior block, and the pectoralis block (PEC 1/PEC 2 Block).
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