ANZ journal of surgery
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ANZ journal of surgery · Jan 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialEffectiveness of intra-operative wound infiltration with long-acting local anaesthetic.
Postoperative pain relief is of importance to both patients and surgeons. One of the simpler techniques is infiltration of the surgical incision with long acting local anaesthetic. The literature is confusing, with numerous reports attesting to the value of this approach and a similar number disputing the demonstrable benefits. ⋯ Intraoperative wound infiltration with bupivacaine is widely employed as a method of minimizing postoperative pain. This study was unable to demonstrate a benefit of employing the technique in terms of a reduction in the patient's perception of pain. By having each patient act as their own control, we have avoided one of the major deficiencies of previous studies, namely, interpatient variability in assessment and perception of pain.