Comparative study of postoperative analgesic effect of intraperitoneal instillation of dexmedetomidine with bupivacaine and bupivacaine alone after laparoscopic surgery.

AIMS: This prospective double-blinded study was designed with the aim of comparing the analgesic effect of intraperitoneal instillation of dexmedetomidine with bupivacaine with that with bupivacaine alone in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgeries.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 100 patients of either sex undergoing elective laparoscopic surgery were randomly divided into two groups containing 50 patients in each group. Group B received intraperitoneal instillation with 50 mL of bupivacaine 0.25% (125 mg) and groups B + D received 50 mL of bupivacaine 0.25% (125 mg) + 1 μg/kg of dexmedetomidine. Pain was assessed using visual analogue scale (VAS) at 0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, and 24 h after the surgery. The requirement of rescue analgesics were recorded.

RESULT: Duration of analgesia was longer in group B+D (14.5 hr) compared to group B (13.06 hr). The requirement of rescue analgesic in 24 hours was less in group B+D (1.76) compared to group B (2.56) which were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The mean number of total rescue analgesia given in 24 h was less in group B+D was 1.76 whereas in group B was 2.56 that were statistically significant.

CONCLUSION: Intraperitoneal instillation of dexmedetomidine with bupivacaine prolongs the duration of postoperative analgesia as compared to that with bupivacaine alone. And also there is less number of rescue analgesics that are required postoperatively when dexmedetomidine is supplemented as an adjuvant to bupivacaine.