Efficacy Of Quadratus Lumborum II Block For Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2021-02-23
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The QL 2 block is a novel fascial plane block recently described by Blanco and colleagues in
which local anesthetic is deposited adjacent to the antero-lateral aspect of the quadratus
lumborum muscle. This results in posterior spread of local anesthetic through the middle
layer of the thoraco-lumbar fascia, which theoretically communicates with the paravertebral
space resulting in potentially longer-lasting and denser analgesia than wound infiltration.
The QL 2 block derives from the TAP block, which is also a fascial plane block that is
commonly used to treat pain following surgery involving the anterior abdominal wall. However,
the QL block's more posterior location has recently been shown to provide a longer lasting
and more profound analgesic effect than the TAP block, possibly by communicating with the
paravertebral space. Although the TAP has been shown to be effective in a variety of surgical
procedures involving an anterior abdominal wall incision including laparoscopic bariatric
surgery the QL 2 block has until now, not been studied in the context of bariatric surgery.