Comparing Regional Anesthesia and General Anesthesia for Postoperative Pain Control in Abdominal Surgeries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Good postoperative pain management is really significant for patient recovery and satisfaction, and reduction of complications. Regional anesthesia (RA) has become popular and is used increasingly during abdominal surgeries instead of general anesthesia (GA) due to the benefits such as better pain control, lower opioid consumption, and quicker recovery time. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at contrasting the security and efficiency of RA against GA in relieving postoperative pain during abdominal surgeries. A systematic search of databases such as PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane was done so that we could find the randomized controlled trials that compare RA and GA in patients who are undergoing various types of abdominal surgeries. The necessary steps involved were initially filtering the studies based on the criteria provided and then extracting the data from the articles using a predefined protocol. As the main direction driver, the primary elements were the outcome measures (including postoperative pain scores, opioid consumption, recovery time, and complication rates). Afterward, a meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the pooled effect sizes and confidence intervals for the purpose of comparing the comparative efficacy of RA and GA. A total of 10 studies, involving 958 patients, were incorporated in the analysis. RA was associated with lower pain scores after surgery than GA (p < 0.001). The people from the RA group observed that they used almost 35% fewer opioids, and there was an equal decrease in opioids and their side effects, such as nausea and vomiting. The RA group had a quicker recovery with early mobilization and hospital discharge reported. RA optimizes pain control, reduces opioid consumption, and accelerates recovery of patients compared to GA in abdominal surgeries, which is why it represents a successful part of perioperative care. RA is fully compatible with enhanced recovery protocols, and it is a successful method of obtaining favorable patient outcomes. It is necessary to conduct more research to standardize RA techniques and investigate its long-term benefits in surgical populations.