Irrigation with bupivacaine at the surgical bed for postoperative pain relief after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of bupivacaine irrigated at the surgical bed on postoperative pain relief in laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients.

METHODS

This study included 60 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy who were prospectively randomized into 2 groups. The placebo group (n=30) received 20cc saline without bupivacaine, installed into the gallbladder bed. The bupivacaine group (n=30) received 20cc of 0.5% bupivacaine in at the same surgical site. Pain was assessed at 0, 6, 12, and 24 hours by using a visual analog scale (VAS).

RESULTS

A significant difference (P=.018) was observed in pain levels between both groups at 6 hours postoperatively. The average analgesic requirement was lower in the bupivacaine group, but this did not reach statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, the use of bupivacaine irrigated over the surgical bed was an effective method for reducing pain during the first postoperative hours after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.