Intraperitoneal bupivacaine for pain relief after minilaparoscopy in patients with infertility.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of intraperitoneal bupivacaine to reduce post operative pain after diagnostic minilaparoscopy in patients with infertility.

Design: A prospective randomized study was performed.

Materials And Methods: The study group consisted of 104 women with infertility undergoing diagnostic minilaparoscopy. At the end of the procedure, the treatment group (Group A) was given 10 mL of intraperitoneal 0.25 % bupivacaine (100 mg) and the control group (Group B) given 10 mL of intraperitoneal saline. Post operative pain was recorded with the use of a visual analog scale with scores ranging from 1 to 10 at 2, 4, 6 and 8 h intervals after the surgery. Additional analgesics given to the patients in the post operative period and any other side effects were noted.

Results: The treatment group had significantly lower pain scores at 2, 4, 6 and 8 h after the procedure (P < 0.05). The need for post operative analgesics also was significantly lower in the treatment group (P = 0.007).

Conclusion: Post operative intraperitoneal bupivacaine administration is beneficial for patients undergoing diagnostic minilaparoscopy. It can significantly decrease post operative pain for up to 8 h and reduce the need for additional analgesics.