A comparative evaluation of effectiveness of external oblique intercostal plane block and subcostal transversus abdominis plane block in enhancing post op analgesia in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

This randomized, double-blind clinical study aims to compare the analgesic efficacy of the External Oblique Intercostal Plane (EOIB) block and the Subcostal Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) block in patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Sixty adult patients (ASA I–II, aged 18–60 years) will be randomly allocated into two equal groups to receive either EOIB or subcostal TAP block under ultrasound guidance, in addition to standard multimodal analgesia. The primary outcome is total tramadol consumption in the first 24 postoperative hours. Secondary outcomes include intraoperative fentanyl requirement, hemodynamic stability, time to first rescue analgesic, postoperative VAS pain scores, patient satisfaction, and incidence of nausea, vomiting, or sedation. Data will be analyzed using appropriate statistical methods with p < 0.05 considered significant. This study seeks to determine which block provides superior postoperative analgesia and better patient comfort after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, thereby contributing to improved regional anesthesia practices in upper abdominal surgeries.