Nerve Blocks vs Local Injections for Post-op Pain Prevention in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in Children

The objective of this study is to compare transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks to local wound infiltration (LWI) in terms of postoperative pain control in pediatric patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Our hypothesis is that TAP blocks will be superior to LWI for postoperative pain control resulting in decreased use of opioid / narcotic pain medication and decreased pain scored in the immediate 24-hour postoperative period. The rationale is that determining the effect of analgesia in this pediatric population is important to optimize clinical care.