title: Local anesthesia with ropivacaine for patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, 5 Fu-Hsing Street, Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan, Taiwan, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Yin
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chun-Nan
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Hsiang-Lin
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shang-Yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chun-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Chih-Chung
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Tzu-Chieh
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Ta-Sen
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Yi-Yin
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Jan
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000577:Amides; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D000077212:Ropivacaine