Journal
Journal of Clinical Anesthesia
Volume
106
ISSN
09528180
Publication date
September 1, 2025
Introduction: Pain relief provided by the transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in individuals who have undergone living liver donation during the postoperative period has been demonstrated in previous studies. The external oblique intercostal plane (EOI) block is a recently introduced technique designed to provide analgesia for the anterolateral region of the upper abdominal wall. This study aims to evaluate and compare the efficacy of the external oblique intercostal plane (EOI) block and the subcostal TAP block in individuals who have undergone living liver donation. Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: EOI block group and subcostal TAP block group. In both groups, bilateral blocks were performed using a total of 40 ml of 0.25 % bupivacaine at the end of surgery and prior to extubation. Postoperatively, all patients were connected to an intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device containing morphine. The primary outcome of the study was intravenous morphine consumption during the first 24 h postoperatively. Results: The median [interquartile range] morphine consumption at 24 h postoperatively was similar between EOI block and subcostal TAP block groups (23.5 [19.5 to 27.5] vs 26 [24 to 28], respectively). There were no significant differences in terms of numerical rating scale (NRS) scores at rest and during movement at 2, 6, 12 and 24 h. No block-related complications were observed in any patients. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that there were no statistically significant differences in 24-h morphine consumption or pain scores at rest and during movement between the subcostal TAP and EOI block groups in living liver donors undergoing right hepatectomy. Either technique may be preferred depending on the clinician's experience and institutional practice. Trial registration. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT05890079