We conducted a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. We randomized consecutive patients undergoing LC into two groups. Group L received 10 mL 2 % lignocaine (lidocaine), whereas Group B received 10 mL 0.5 % bupivacaine, each diluted in 10 mL normal saline. All patients underwent standard perioperative anesthesia and analgesia protocol. We assessed patients at 0, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h postoperatively for pain using the visual analogue scale and verbal rating scale, and the need for additional analgesic medications.
We analyzed a total of 206 patients: 106 in Group L and 100 in Group B. Demographic details were similar between groups (P > 0.05). Abdominal pain decreased significantly with time in both groups, with a similar mean response profile (P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between groups with regard to abdominal or shoulder pain by both visual analogue scale and verbal rating scale at all five time intervals (P > 0.05). There was also no significant difference in the side effect profile of both drugs (P?> 0.05). A lower proportion of patients in Group B required additional narcotic analgesia (87 % ) compared with Group L (94 % ). This difference was marginally significant (P = 0.057).
Bupivacaine and lignocaine (lidocaine) are both safe and equally effective at decreasing postoperative pain after LC.