Experimental Methods and Design Patients would be randomised to receive either 20mls of local anaesthetic on each side of the abdomen in the TA plane or to receive no additional treatment. Both groups would receive local anaesthetic into the wounds at the end of the procedure. The TAP block would take place after induction of anaesthesia but before commencement of surgery. The TAP block would be carried out in a standardised manner using ultrasound guidance by two experienced anaesthetists with considerable experience in this technique. For blinding purposes, the site of entry on the skin for a TAP block will be covered with a plaster, irrespective of whether a block has been given.