Infiltration of Local Anesthesia at Wound Site after Single-Incision Laparoscopic Colectomy Reduces Postoperative Pain and Analgesic Usage.

Background/aims: Minimally invasive laparoscopy provides faster recovery, less pain, fewer complications, and better cosmesis than laparotomy. We aimed to evaluate outcomes of postoperative local anesthesia infiltration at the single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) wound.

Methodology: This prospective, non-randomized controlled study evaluated outcomes of 58 colorectal cancer cases receiving SILS from May 2010 to December 2010. Twenty-nine patients received postoperative infiltration of local anesthesia at the wound site; another 29 patients did not. Demographic, intra- and postoperative data were compared. Postoperative pain was assessed by visual analogue scale and analgesic usage.

Results: Local anesthesia group included 16 males, 13 females (mean age, 62.0 ± 15.1 years); no local anesthesia group included 14 males, 15 females (mean age, 58.1 ± 12.7 years). There were no significant differences between groups at baseline (i.e., age, gender, disease stage, tumor location or size) except BMI (25.2 ± 2.8 vs. 23.5 ± 3.4, p = 0.041) was significantly higher. Postoperative pain scores were significantly lower in local anesthesia group than in no local anesthesia group (median VAS score 2.0, IQR 2.0-3.0 vs. VAS score 3.0, IQR 3.0-4.0, respectively, P = 0.024).

Conclusions: Our results provide further evidence of SILS safety. Local anesthesia infiltration at SILS wounds decreases postoperative wound pain and analgesic usage.