Aim: To evaluate the effect of two doses of intraperitoneal bupivacaine administration for pain relief after operative gynecological laparoscopy.
Design: Prospective randomized study.
Materials and methods: The study group comprised 52 women undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery. A dose of either 0.125% bupivacaine 10 ml (50 mg) or 0.25% bupivacaine (100 mg) was instilled intraperitoneally at the end of the procedure. Pain scores were recorded in the postoperative period on a scale of 0-10 at 2, 4, 6 and 8 h intervals after the surgery. Any other side effect and the time and dose of analgesia required were noted. The results were compared in the two groups.
Results: One hundred milligrams of bupivacine provided pain relief for a longer duration (8 h), as compared to 50 mg of the drug (4-6 h). This difference was statistically significant. Analgesic requirement was also less in the 100 mg group.
Conclusion: One hundred milligrams of intraperitoneal bupivacaine is much better than 50 mg in relieving pain after laparoscopic surgery.