First described in 2001, the transverse abdominis plane (TAP) block is a peripheral nerve block designed to anesthetize the nerves supplying the anterior abdominal wall (T6 to L1). In a 2011 meta-analysis, the TAP block was shown to reduce the need for postoperative opioid use, increase the time to first request for further analgesia and provide mo...

Following on the heels of President Trump's declaration of the opioid epidemic as a national public health emergency, the president's commission on the opioid crisis last week issued its final report containing more than 50 recommendations for addressing what has been called the most serious drug problem in U.S. history. The report, the heightened ...