Irrigation with Bupivacaine at the Surgical Bed for Postoperative Pain Relief After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of bupivacaine irrigated at the surgical bed on postoperative pain relief in laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients. METHODS: This study included 60 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy who were prospectively randomized into 2 groups. The placebo group (n=30) received 20cc saline without bupivacaine, installed into the gallbladder bed. The bupivacaine group (n=30) received 20cc of 0.5% bupivacaine in at the same surgical site. Pain was assessed at 0, 6, 12, and 24 hours by using a visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS: A significant difference (P=.018) was observed in pain levels between both groups at 6 hours postoperatively. The average analgesic requirement was lower in the bupivacaine group, but this did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the use of bupivacaine irrigated over the surgical bed was an effective method for reducing pain during the first postoperative hours after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.