Published online Aug 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v18.i8.120096
Revised: April 20, 2026
Accepted: May 26, 2026
Published online: August 15, 2026
Processing time: 150 Days and 6.9 Hours
The global incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is rising annually, with radical resection as its primary curative treatment. Conventional general anesthesia for CRC surgery is frequently complicated by inadequate postoperative analgesia and opioid-related adverse reactions. Although ropivacaine transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB) is a widely used multimodal analgesic technique, its comprehensive effects on perioperative inflammatory stress and organ function in CRC patients remain insufficiently investigated.
To investigate the effects of general anesthesia + ropivacaine TAPB in patients undergoing radical resection for CRC.
This retrospective cohort study analyzed clinical data of patients who underwent radical resection for CRC at Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital between December 2018 and January 2025. Patients who received general anesthesia alone were assigned to the control group, and those who received general anesthesia plus ropivacaine TAPB were assigned to the combination group. Postoperative recovery indices, resting and postoperative state visual analog scale (VAS) scores, and pre- and postoperative inflammatory and liver/kidney function indices were extracted. The incidence of postoperative complications was assessed. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify factors influencing post
Overall, 208 patients were evaluated (control group, n = 85; combination group, n = 123). The combination group experienced shorter times to first flatus, resumption of regular eating, and first defecation, and shorter postoperative hospital stay, and lower VAS scores at 6 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours postoperatively than controls (all P < 0.05). Compared with controls, the combination group showed lower levels of interleukin-6, white blood cell count, and serum lactate at 24 hours postoperatively (all P < 0.05), and lower levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, serum creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen at 72 hours postoperatively (all P < 0.05). The overall complication rate did not differ (P = 0.150); however, a lower incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was observed in the combination group (P = 0.032). Multiple linear regression analysis identified anesthesia regimen (β = -0.816, P < 0.001) and body mass index (β = 0.040, P = 0.024) as independent influencing factors of the VAS score at 24-hour postoperatively.
General anesthesia + ropivacaine TAPB for radical resection of CRC provides superior postoperative analgesic effects, effectively reduces inflammatory and stress responses, and is associated with lower postoperative liver and kidney function indices.
Core Tip: This retrospective study demonstrated that, for patients undergoing radical resection of colorectal cancer, general anesthesia combined with ropivacaine transversus abdominis plane block provides superior postoperative analgesia, reduces inflammatory stress, is associated with favorable postoperative liver and kidney function indices, and accelerates early recovery compared with general anesthesia alone.