Evaluation of the Analgesic Efficacy of Surgically Assisted Linea Semilunaris Block for Post-operative Analgesia in Patients Undergoing Caesarean Section Under Spinal Anaesthesia.

BACKGROUND

Post-operative pain following a caesarean section has been described as moderate to severe. If left untreated, the pain has a negative impact on maternal recovery and psychology. Surgically assisted linea semilunaris anterior abdominal block has been proposed to be an efficacious analgesic modality in such cases.

AIM

The study aims to evaluate the efficacy of post-operative analgesia provided by linea semilunaris block in patients undergoing caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia.

METHODS

Eighty parturients planned for elective caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia were randomised into two groups. In group B, a surgically assisted Linea semilunaris anterior abdominal block was given bilaterally after the closure of the uterine incision using 20 mL of 0.375% ropivacaine with 1:200,000 adrenaline. For group C, conventional analgesia protocols were followed in the post-op period. Inj. paracetamol 1 g i.v. was routinely administered, and inj. tramadol 50 mg i.v. was given as a rescue analgesic in both groups. The primary outcome of the present study was the total amount of rescue analgesia consumed over 24 hours. Secondary outcomes included resting and dynamic pain scores [Numerical Rating Scale (NRS)], time to first rescue analgesia, quality of sleep, and patient satisfaction using the Likert scale.

RESULTS

The mean total amount of rescue analgesia consumed over 24 hours was significantly higher in group C (150.00 ± 0.00) than in group B (125.75 ± 25.32); p = 0.001. The mean NRS at 2, 4, 12, and 24 hours was significantly higher in group B than in group C. The time to first rescue analgesia was longer in group B, with better sleep quality, patient satisfaction, and fewer complications.

CONCLUSION

The linea semilunaris block provided effective analgesia and can be considered an alternative analgesic modality to other conventional abdominal wall blocks for post-caesarean pain relief.