Epidural anesthesia and post-operative analgesia for bilateral inguinal mesh hernioplasty: Comparison of equipotent doses of ropivacaine and bupivacaine

OBJECTIVES: Ropivacaine is a long-acting amide local anesthetic, which is structurally very similar to bupivacaine but produces less motor block and less cardiac and central nervous system toxicity. It is also about 40% less potent than bupivacaine. Our double blind study was designed to compare the clinical efficacy of the equipotent doses of ropivacaine 0.75% and bupivacaine 0.5% for epidural anesthesia and ropivacaine 0.2% and bupivacaine 0.125% for post-operative analgesia in patients undergoing bilateral mesh hernioplasty. METHODS: Sixty-one patients were randomized to receive 15 ml of 0.75% ropivacaine or 0.5% bupivacaine. Sensory and motor block characteristics were compared. Changes in heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure, and adverse effects were noted. For post-operative analgesia, 0.2% ropivacaine and 0.125% bupivacaine were given as continuous epidural infusion. Analgesia using VAS scores, motor block, volume of local anesthetic used and patient satisfaction was assessed. RESULTS: There was no significant variation in the sensory block profile. A greater intensity of motor block was achieved with bupivacaine in the beginning but by 30 minutes the difference was not significant. Duration of motor block was similar in the two groups. Visual analog scale scores were similar in both groups during the post-operative period, with a similar motor block profile. No major side effects were noted in any group. CONCLUSION: The equipotent doses of ropivacaine and bupivacaine provided good quality epidural anesthesia and post-operative analgesia.