Intraperitoneal Instillation of Bupivacaine and Ropivacaine for Postoperative Analgesia in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

BACKGROUND: Intraperitoneal instillation of local anesthetics in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has been used to reduce postoperative pain and to decrease the need for postoperative analgesics. AIMS: This study aimed to compare intraperitoneal instillation of bupivacaine and ropivacaine for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing LC. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was a prospective, randomized, double-blind study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After obtaining ethical committee's clearance and informed consent, sixty patients, aged 18–65 years, of either gender, and American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I to III scheduled for LC were included and categorized into two groups (n = 30). Group A patients received 20 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine intraperitoneally after cholecystectomy and Group B patients received 20 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine intraperitoneally after cholecystectomy. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The data were analyzed using paired t-test. The results were analyzed and compared to previous studies. SPSS software version 22 was used, released 2013 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). RESULTS: Pulse rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were comparatively lower in Group B than in Group A. The visual analog scale (VAS) score was significantly lower in Group B. Rescue analgesia was given when VAS was >6. Verbal rating scale score was significantly lower in Group B, showing longer duration of analgesia in this group. Rescue analgesic requirement was also less in Group B. CONCLUSION: The instillation of bupivacaine and ropivacaine intraperitoneally was an effective method of postoperative pain relief in LC. It provided good analgesia in immediate postoperative period with ropivacaine, providing longer duration of analgesia.