Ultrasound-Guided Subcostal TAP Block with Depot Steroids in the Management of Chronic Abdominal Pain Secondary to Chronic Pancreatitis: A Three-Year Prospective Audit in 54 Patients

Background Chronic pancreatitis is a common cause of recurrent chronic abdominal pain that utilizes significant health care resources. Pain in chronic pancreatitis can be of two types. Visceral pain occurs during ongoing pancreatic inflammation. Once pancreatic inflammation subsides, the pain generator can move to the abdominal wall as a result of viscerosomatic convergence and present as abdominal myofascial pain syndrome. Subcostal transversus abdominis plane block is an abdominal plane block that has been proven effective in upper abdominal pain of somatic origin. Design The authors discuss the two distinct types of chronic abdominal pain as a result of pancreatitis and present a prospective audit of a management pathway. Methods Over a three-year period, 54 patients with chronic abdominal pain as a result of pancreatitis were prospectively audited at a tertiary care university hospital. Patients were offered bilateral subcostal transversus abdominis plane block with depot steroids as the primary interventional treatment in the pathway. Results In patients with myofascial pain secondary to chronic pancreatitis, the block was effective in producing clinically significant pain relief at three months (95%, 20/21) and durable pain relief lasting six months (62%, 13/21). In patients with visceral pain, the block produced a transient benefit lasting two to three weeks in one-third (six of 17). Conclusions Subcostal transversus abdominis plane block may be an option in the management of abdominal myofascial pain syndrome secondary to chronic pancreatitis. The block is ineffective in producing clinically significant pain relief in the presence of ongoing pancreatic inflammation.