Paragastric, lesser omentum neural block to prevent early visceral pain after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: A randomized clinical trial protocol

Abstract

The somatic pain induced by surgical trauma to the abdominal wall after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is effectively managed using conventional analgesia and transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks. In contrast, the visceral, colicky, pain that patients experience after LSG does not respond well to traditional pain management. Patients typically experience epigastric and retrosternal pain that begin immediately after LSG and lasts up to 72 hours after LSG. This visceral type of pain has been ascribed to the spasm of the neo-gastric sleeve. The pain is often severe and requires opioid derivatives. Patients frequently have associated autonomic symptoms such as nausea, retching and vomiting. In the last 15 years at our institutions, we have used many analgesic strategies to manage this burdensome symptom in the more than 2000 LSG procedures we have performed, but none have been satisfactorily effective1,2.