The Effects of Transversalis Fascia Plane Block on Opioid Consumption in Patients Undergoing Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy: A Randomized Controlled Prospective Study

This study aims to evaluate whether a regional anesthesia technique called the transversalis fascia plane block (TFPB) can improve pain control after hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (HALDN), a minimally invasive surgery performed in living kidney donors. Although HALDN is less invasive than open surgery, patients often experience significant pain after the operation, mainly due to the surgical incisions in the lower abdomen and trocar entry sites. Poorly controlled pain can delay recovery and increase the need for opioid pain medications, which may cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, itching, and sedation. The transversalis fascia plane block is an ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia technique in which a local anesthetic is injected into a specific tissue plane in the lower abdominal wall. This injection temporarily blocks pain signals from nerves supplying the lower abdomen and groin area. The technique has been shown to reduce pain and opioid use after various lower abdominal surgeries and is considered minimally invasive and safe when performed under ultrasound guidance. In this study, patients undergoing HALDN will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will receive standard general anesthesia only, while the other group will receive general anesthesia plus a transversalis fascia plane block using a local anesthetic (bupivacaine). All patients will receive the same standard pain treatment after surgery, including paracetamol and patient-controlled morphine. The main goal of the study is to compare the amount of opioid pain medication used during the first 24 hours after surgery between the two groups. Secondary outcomes include pain scores measured using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), the frequency of opioid-related side effects, and patient satisfaction with pain control. The results of this study may help determine whether adding the transversalis fascia plane block to standard anesthesia can provide better pain relief, reduce opioid consumption, and improve comfort and recovery in living kidney donors.