Local anesthesia with ropivacaine for patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of pain relief after infusion of ropivacaine at port sites at the end of surgery.


METHODS
From October 2006 to September 2007, 72 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) were randomized into two groups of 36 patients. One group received ropivacaine infusion at the port sites at the end of LC and the other received normal saline. A visual analog scale was used to assess postoperative pain when the patient awakened in the operating room, 6 and 24 h after surgery, and before discharge. The amount of analgesics use was also recorded. The demographics, laboratory data, hospital stay, and perioperative complications were compared between the two groups.


RESULTS
There was no difference between the two groups preoperatively in terms of demographic and laboratory data. After surgery, similar operation time, blood loss, and no postoperative morbidity and mortality were observed in the two groups. However, a significantly lower pain score was observed in the patients undergoing LC with local anesthesia infusion at 1 h after LC and at discharge. Regarding analgesic use, the amount of meperidine used 1 h after LC and the total used during admission were lower in patients undergoing LC with local anesthesia infusion. This group also had a shorter hospital stay.


CONCLUSIONS
Local anesthesia with ropivacaine at the port site in LC patients significantly decreased postoperative pain immediately. This explains the lower meperidine use and earlier discharge for these patients.
Liu
Yu-Yin
YY
Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, 5 Fu-Hsing Street, Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan, Taiwan, China.
Yeh
Chun-Nan
CN
Lee
Hsiang-Lin
HL
Wang
Shang-Yu
SY
Tsai
Chun-Yi
CY
Lin
Chih-Chung
CC
Chao
Tzu-Chieh
TC
Yeh
Ta-Sen
TS
Jan
Yi-Yin
YY
D000328:Adult; D000577:Amides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036502:Infusions, Intralesional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000077212:Ropivacaine; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000577:Amides; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D000077212:Ropivacaine