Brief Articles
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World J Gastroenterol. May 21, 2009; 15(19): 2376-2380
Published online May 21, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.2376
Local anesthesia with ropivacaine for patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Yu-Yin Liu, Chun-Nan Yeh, Hsiang-Lin Lee, Shang-Yu Wang, Chun-Yi Tsai, Chih-Chung Lin, Tzu-Chieh Chao, Ta-Sen Yeh, Yi-Yin Jan
Yu-Yin Liu, Chun-Nan Yeh, Hsiang-Lin Lee, Shang-Yu Wang, Chun-Yi Tsai, Tzu-Chieh Chao, Ta-Sen Yeh, Yi-Yin Jan, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, 5 Fu-Hsing Street, Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan 33375, Taiwan, China
Chih-Chung Lin, Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, 5 Fu-Hsing Street, Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan 33375, Taiwan, China
Author contributions: Liu YY wrote the manuscript and analyzed the data; Yeh CN designed the experiment, supported the case mainly and corrected the paper; Lin CC performed the anesthesia and provided a standard protocol of general anesthsia; Chao TC, Yeh TS and Jan YY provided several cases to support this study; Lee HL, Wang SY, and Tsai CY helped to evalute the pain intensity via the VAS and collect the data.
Correspondence to: Chun-Nan Yeh, MD, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, 5 Fu-Hsing Street, Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan 33375, Taiwan, China. ycn@adm.cgmh.com.tw
Telephone: +886-3-3281200
Fax: +886-3-3285818
Received: January 22, 2009
Revised: March 26, 2009
Accepted: April 2, 2009
Published online: May 21, 2009
Abstract

AIM: 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.

CONCLUSION: 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.

Keywords: Prospective randomized trial, Local anesthesia, Ropivacaine, Normal saline, Laparoscopic cholecystectomy