Recovery quality of transversus abdominis plane block with liposomal bupivacaine after cesarean delivery: A randomized trial

Study objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of liposomal bupivacaine in transversus abdominis plane block (TAP) on recovery quality after cesarean delivery.

Design: A randomized trial.

Setting: An operating room, a post-anesthesia care unit, and a hospital ward.

Patients: A total of 147 women scheduled for cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia were enrolled and randomized to receive a TAP block with plain bupivacaine (bupivacaine group), liposomal bupivacaine (liposomal group), or a mixture of plain bupivacaine and liposomal bupivacaine (mixture group).

Interventions: The bupivacaine group received bilateral TAP blocks with plain bupivacaine 50 mg alone. The liposomal group received bilateral TAP blocks with liposomal bupivacaine 266 mg alone. The mixture group received bilateral TAP blocks with plain bupivacaine 50 mg followed by liposomal bupivacaine 266 mg.

Measurements: The primary outcome was the Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR - 15) score assessed 24 h postoperatively. Secondary outcomes encompassed the QoR - 15 score at 48 h post-surgery, the VAS pain score at rest and with movement at 24, 48, and 72 h postoperatively, opioid consumption within the 0-24 h and 24-48 h periods following surgery, as well as patient's satisfaction with analgesic.

Main results: The QoR - 15 score at 24 h postoperatively was significantly higher in both the liposomal group and the mixture group compared to the bupivacaine group. Specifically, the QoR - 15 score for the liposomal group versus the bupivacaine group (median [IQR]: 120 [107, 128] vs. 109 [104, 120]; median difference, 7; 95 % CI, 2 to 13; P = 0.011) and for the mixture group versus the bupivacaine group (median [IQR]: 122 [112, 128] vs. 109 [104, 120]; median difference, 9; 95 % CI, 4 to 14; P = 0.001). The QoR - 15 score in both the liposomal group and the mixture group were also higher than those in the bupivacaine group at 48 h postoperatively, though the difference was not clinically meaningful. Additionally, both the liposomal and mixture groups exhibited lower pain score at 24 h and 48 h postoperatively compared to the bupivacaine group, but no significant clinical differences were achieved in either pain scores or opioid consumption. Patients in both the liposomal and mixture groups reported higher satisfaction score with analgesia than those in the bupivacaine group.

Conclusions: TAP block using either liposomal bupivacaine or a mixture of plain bupivacaine and liposomal bupivacaine provided superior quality of recovery at 24 h after cesarean delivery compared to using plain bupivacaine alone.