Ultrasound guided transversus abdominis plane block: Postoperative analgesia in children with spinal dysraphism

Pediatric regional anesthesia is widely used to relieve postoperative pain after abdominal surgery. Commonly used techniques of regional anesthesia include lumbar epidural and caudal block. However, the use of central neuraxial blockade has limitations. It is contraindicated in patients with clotting abnormalities, spinal dysraphism with tethered cord syndrome, meningomyelocele, and following spinal surgery with instrumentation. Ultrasound guided transversus abdominis plane block is a new method of regional anesthesia that can be used in settings where central neuraxial blockade is contraindicated. In this study, we present 5 pediatric cases in which major abdominal surgery was performed but central neuraxial blockade could not be carried out due to spinal abnormalities.