Impact of bupivacaine injection to trocar sites on postoperative pain following laparoscopic hysterectomy: Results from a prospective, multicentre, double-blind randomized controlled trial

Abstract Objectives Laparoscopic surgery has numerous advantages over open surgery in view of postoperative pain. In this context, to elevate its benefits and patient satisfaction, different pain management interventions have been used so far. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of bupivacaine injection to trocar sites following laparoscopic hysterectomy for the management of postoperative pain. Study design In this study, patients were randomized into two groups (56 cases; 52 controls). A single injection of bupivacaine (0.5%, 5 mg/ml) was introduced to trocar sites under subcutaneous tissue at a dose of 4 ml for the umbilicus and 2 ml for each 5-mm ancillary trocar site in the study group. No bupivacaine was administered to the control group. The primary aim was to measure differences in 2 -h postoperative numerical rating scale (NRS) pain scores between the two groups. The secondary aims were to evaluate differences between 1-, 4-, 6-, 24- and 48 -h postoperative NRS pain scores, surgical complications, estimated blood loss, duration of operation and analgesic consumption. Results The number of postoperative rescue doses of analgesics was found to be lower in the study group compared to the control group (median of 2 vs. 4; p  Conclusions The present study suggests that bupivacaine injection to trocar sites is an effective and safe method for reducing pain following laparoscopic hysterectomy.