TAP Block Using Liposomal Bupivacaine for Post-cesarean Delivery Analgesia- Walking Towards Recovery

Brief summary

Reproduced verbatim from the official ClinicalTrials.gov record. Not medical advice.

The TAP block offers analgesia by blocking the sensory nerves of the anterior abdominal wall. The procedure is performed under ultrasound guidance, after identification of the external oblique, internal oblique and transverse abdominis muscle. Medication is injected in the neurofascial plane between the internal oblique and the tranversus abdominis muscle. Previous studies have demonstrated limited (\<24 hour) effect of the block when compared to the use of intrathecal morphine (considered to be the "gold standard" for postoperative analgesia). In a study by McMarrow et al., post-caesarian pain control combinations including TAP blocks with local anesthetic (Bupivacaine) or saline after a spinal anesthetic with or without intrathecal morphine were compared. At 6 hours the Morphine consumption was slightly reduced in the patients that received both intrathecal morphine and TAP blocks with LA when compared to patients that received spinal saline and TAP with saline. At 24 hours the TAP block conferred no benefit in terms of opioid consumption. Similarly, the study by Lee et al. demonstrated better pain scores for the first 2 hours in patients receiving both intrathecal morphine and a TAP block with ropivacaine. At 24 hours there was no difference in the pain scores for patients that received both intrathecal morphine and TAP blocks. On the contrary, a more recent study utilizing liposomal bupivacaine has been utilized for TAP blocks for post cesarean delivery analgesia, demonstrating opioid reductions for up to 72 hours. Liposomal bupivacaine is a novel, multivesicular formulation designed for rapid absorption, prolonged release of bupivacaine, and analgesia following a single intra-operative administration into the surgical wound or for TAP blocks. Current anesthesia practices encourage the use of multimodal analgesia that aim at enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS). The ERAS model aims to decrease immobility, pain and post-operative ileus. Pain and immobility may be closely related, and the latter has rarely been monitored in the post-operative setting. It is planned to use a research validated fit-bit like device (Actigraph GT3-X) to monitor patient steps (mobility).

About this trial record page

What this page shows

Public field values for ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT04393207, including study identification, conditions, interventions, eligibility (age, sex, healthy volunteer), timeline, and U.S. site list.

What this page does not do

No medical advice, eligibility judgments, treatment recommendations, study quality scoring, or AI-generated medical summaries. No site contact phone numbers, emails, or investigator names.

Where the data comes from

Sourced from the official ClinicalTrials.gov public API. The official record is the source of truth.

Last refresh

Last update posted Mar 20, 2025 · Synced Sep 4, 2026

Related: full search, browse by condition, browse by drug or therapy, browse by sponsor, browse by U.S. city.