Analgesic efficacy of classical thoracolumbar interfascial plane block versus modified thoracolumbar interfascial plane block in patients undergoing lumbar disc surgeries: A comparative, randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We compared classical (medial) and modified (lateral) thoracolumbar interfascial plane block (TLIP) with only general anaesthesia (GA) using multimodal analgesia in patients undergoing lumbar disc surgeries.

METHODS: In this study, 100 patients aged 18-70 years were randomised to Group cTLIP (conventional TLIP block with 20 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine with GA), Group mTLIP (modified TLIP block with 20 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine with GA), and Group C (only GA using multimodal analgesia). The primary outcome was to assess the total peri-operative opioid consumption in the first 24 h. The secondary outcomes were to assess pain score upon arriving in the post-anaesthesia care unit, time to first analgesic need after surgery, post-operative opioid consumption in 24 h, and incidence of nausea and vomiting.

RESULTS: The total peri-operative opioid consumption in Group cTLIP (507.58 (258.55) μg) and Group mTLIP (491.67 (165.39) μg) was significantly lower than that in Group C (1225.4 (237.03) μg); ( P < 0.001). However, it was comparable between groups cTLIP and mTLIP ( P = 0.767). Pain score was comparable in groups cTLIP and mTLIP. It was significantly lower than Group C ( P = 0.001). Rescue analgesia was needed in all (100%) patients of Group C but in only 15.2% of patients of the cTLIP and mTLIP groups. No patient in groups cTLIP and mTLIP complained of nausea and vomiting in the first 24 h, whereas it was significantly higher (61.8%) in Group C ( P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION: The analgesic effect of the modified TLIP block was not superior to the conventional TLIP block. Both techniques provided the same intra-operative and post-operative analgesia for lumbar disc surgeries.