Transversus abdominus blocks instead of general anesthesia in a child

The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a peripheral nerve block that was originally described in 2001. Considering the sensory distribution of the TAP block, which does not provide visceral anesthesia, it has been used primarily for postoperative analgesia. We present the use of a TAP block as the sole anesthetic for placement of a cutaneous vesicostomy in a 4-year-old child with multiple comorbid conditions. The basic principles of the TAP block are presented, and its previous use instead of general in various clinical scenarios is reviewed.