Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter Placement Using an Ultrasound-Guided Transversus Abdominis Plane Block

Background: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter placement is usually performed using general or local anesthesia. We present our PD catheter placement experience using an ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block, which is a regional anesthesia technique. Methods: In this study, we analyzed 33 patients from our center with ESRD who underwent PD catheter placement using a TAP block between June 2011 and April 2014. Results: The TAP block was successful for 29/33 (87.9%) patients. Four patients (12.1%) had pain at the incision site and required general anesthesia. There were no anesthesia-, surgery- or catheter-related complications. Conclusion: ESRD patients have a substantial number of comorbidities that can be negatively influenced by general anesthesia. Because regional anesthesia has no systemic effect, this procedure could be recommended for this group of patients. A TAP block is an effective, safe method and can be used as the principal anesthesia technique for PD catheter placement. (C) 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel