International Journal of Drug Delivery Technology
Volume 16, Issue 13s, 2026

External Oblique Intercostal (EOI) Plane Block for Post-Operative Analgesia in a Patient Undergoing Elective Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Case Report

Dr. Bandla Rajendra Sai1, Dr. Chaitanya Kamat2

1Junior Resident and Post Graduate, Dept of Anaesthesiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and KLES Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital & Medical Research Center, Belagavi. Email: rajendrasai78@gmail.com. ORCID: 0009-0005-2794-4559

2Professor, Dept of Anaesthesiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and KLES Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital & Medical Research Center, Belagavi. Email: drchaitanya12@gmail.com. ORCID: 0000-0003-4555-5192

Corresponding author: Dr. Bandla Rajendra Sai, Junior Resident and Post Graduate, Dept of Anaesthesiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and KLES Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital & Medical Research Center, Belagavi. E Mail: rajendrasai78@gmail.com


ABSTRACT

Background: This case report describes the use of an ultrasound-guided external oblique intercostal (EOI) plane block for postoperative analgesia in a patient undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A 45-year-old male (ASA I) with symptomatic gallstones underwent uneventful laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia. In addition to standard analgesics (paracetamol), a right-sided EOI block was performed at the end of surgery using 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine (injected at the level of the 6th rib) to target the lateral and anterior cutaneous branches of T6/7–T10/11.

Results: Postoperatively, the patient reported only mild pain (NRS ≤2) at rest and with movement over 24 h, required minimal rescue analgesia (single dose of 100mg iv tramadol), and had stable vital signs. This favorable outcome aligns with recent evidence that EOI plane block reduce postoperative pain and opioid requirements.

Conclusion: This case highlights that an ultrasound-guided EOI block can be a simple, safe, and effective component of multimodal analgesia for laparoscopic upper abdominal surgery.

Keywords: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy; External oblique intercostal block; Postoperative analgesia; Numeric rating scale (NRS).

How to cite this article: Sai BR, Kamat C. External Oblique Intercostal (EOI) Plane Block for Post-Operative Analgesia in a Patient Undergoing Elective Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Case Report. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(13s): 928-929. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.13s.105

Source of support: Nil.

Conflict of interest: None