Effect of intraperitoneal local anesthesia on enhanced recovery outcomes after bariatric surgery: a randomized controlled pilot study

BACKGROUND: Patients with extreme obesity are at high risk for adverse perioperative events, especially when opioid-centric analgesic protocols are used, and perioperative pain management interventions in bariatric surgery could improve safety, outcomes and satisfaction. We aimed to evaluate the impact of intraperitoneal local anesthesia (IPLA) on enhanced recovery after bariatric surgery (ERABS) outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a prospective double-blind randomized controlled pilot study in adherence to an a priori peer-reviewed protocol. Patients undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (LRYGB) with an established ERABS protocol between July 2014 and February 2015 were randomly allocated to receive either IPLA with 0.2% ropivacaine (intervention group) or normal saline (control group). We measured pain scores, analgesic consumption and adverse effects. Functional prehabilitation outcomes, including peak expiratory flow (PEF) and the Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) and Quality of Recovery Survey-40 (QoR-40) scores, were assessed before surgery, and 1 day and 7 days postoperatively. RESULTS: One hundred patients were randomly allocated to the study groups, of whom 92 completed the study, 46 in each group. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in baseline characteristics or any primary or secondary outcomes. Pain scores and analgesic consumption were low in both groups. There were no adverse events. Significant declines in PEF and 6MWT and QoR-40 scores were noted on postoperative day 1 in both groups; the values returned to baseline on postoperative day 7 in both groups. CONCLUSION: Intraperitoneal local anesthesia with ropivacaine did not reduce postoperative pain or analgesic consumption when administered intraoperatively to patients undergoing LRYGB. Standardization of the ERABS protocol benefited patients, with functional prehabilitation outcomes returning to baseline postoperatively. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov no. NCT 02154763