Local anaesthetic infusion with elastomeric pump after arthroscopic subacromial decompression.

Introduction: The use of extended local anaesthesia for postoperative pain has previously been reported, and has several advantages over other methods, including ease of placement, safety, reliability, lower cost and effective analgesia. We present our experience with a portable elastomeric infusion device in patients undergoing arthroscopic subacromial decompression, and make a case for its potential to allow same-day discharge.

Patients And Methods: Forty patients undergoing arthroscopic subacromial decompression were followed-up. At the end of the procedure, an epidural catheter connected to a portable elastomeric local anaesthetic infusion system was inserted into the subacromial space. All patients were electively admitted for overnight stay postoperatively and assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) to evaluate their level of pain.

Results: No patient reported severe pain at any stage. None of the patients required any parenteral opiate analgesia with the pump in situ.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that the use of this elastomeric infusion device following shoulder surgery allows safe and early discharge of patients with decreased need for parenteral opiate analgesia.