title: Postoperative pain relief with epidural buprenorphine versus epidural butorphanol in laparoscopic hysterectomies: A comparative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of postoperative analgesia with epidural buprenorphine and butorphanol tartrate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty patients who were scheduled for elective laparoscopic hysterectomies were randomly enrolled in the study. At the end of the surgery, in study Group A 1 ml (0.3 mg) of buprenorphine and in Group B 1 ml (1 mg) of butorphanol tartrate both diluted to 10 ml with normal saline was injected through the epidural catheter. Visual analog pain scales (VAPSs) were assessed every hour till the 6(th) h, then 2(nd) hourly till the 12(th) h. To assess sedation, Ramsay sedation score was used. The total duration of postoperative analgesia was taken as the period from the time of giving epidural drug until the patients first complain of pain and the VAPS is more than 6. Patients were observed for any side effects such as respiratory depression, nausea, vomiting, hypotension, bradycardia, pruritus, and headache.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Buprenorphine had a longer duration of analgesia when compared to butorphanol tartrate (586.17 ± 73.64 vs. 342.53 ± 47.42 [P < 0.001]). Nausea, vomiting (13% vs. 10%), and headache (20% vs. 13%) were more in buprenorphine group; however, sedation score and pruritus (3% vs. 6%) were found to be more with butorphanol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Epidural buprenorphine significantly reduced pain and increased the quality of analgesia with a longer duration of action and was a better alternative to butorphanol for postoperative pain relief.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, KVG Medical College, Sullia, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Dona Elsa
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Jose
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, KVG Medical College, Sullia, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ganapathi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, KVG Medical College, Sullia, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Anish Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, KVG Medical College, Sullia, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shankaranarayana
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, KVG Medical College, Sullia, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Aiyappa
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, KVG Medical College, Sullia, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nazim
keywords: Buprenorphine; butorphanol; epidural; postoperative pain relief