title: Local bupivacaine for postoperative pain management in thyroidectomized patients: A prospective and controlled clinical study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to evaluate the effect of bupivacaine and to compare the routes of administration of bupivacaine in the management of postoperative incision site pain after thyroidectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients who were planned for thyroidectomy surgery were randomized into three groups of 30 patients each: Group 1 (control group): standard thyroidectomy surgery without additional intervention; Group 2 (paratracheal infiltration with bupivacaine): following thyroidectomy, 0.25% bupivacaine was applied on the surgical area; Group 3 (subcutaneous infiltration with bupivacaine): following thyroidectomy, 0.25% bupivacaine was injected into the cutaneous, subcutaneous region and fascia of the surgical area. Postoperative pain was evaluated by a visual analog scale (VAS) at 1(st), 4(th), and 12(th) hours after thyroidectomy. Total daily requirement for additional analgesia was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of 90 patients was 44.37±13.42 years, and the female:male ratio was 62:28. There was no difference between study groups in terms of age, thyroid volume, TSH and T4 levels. VAS score of patients in paratracheal infiltration with bupivacaine group was significantly lower than control group patients at 1(st), 4(th) and 12(th) hours following thyroidectomy (p=0.030, p=0.033, p=0.039, respectively). The need for analgesics was significantly lower in both paratracheal infiltration and subcutaneous infiltration groups than the control group (86.7%, 83.0%, and 73.3%, respectively, p=0.049).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intraoperative local bupivacaine application is effective in decreasing postoperative pain in patients with thyroidectomy.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of General Surgery, Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ersin Gürkan
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Dumlu
authors.affiliation: Clinic of General Surgery, Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tokaç
authors.affiliation: Clinic of General Surgery, Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Haydar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Öcal
authors.affiliation: Clinic of General Surgery, Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Doğukan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Durak
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Yıldırım Beyazıt University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Halil
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Yıldırım Beyazıt University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kılıç
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Yıldırım Beyazıt University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdussamed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yalçın
keywords: Bupivacaine; postoperative pain; thyroidectomy