CLINICAL STUDY COMPARING THE EFFICACY OF EPIDURAL ROPIVACAINE 0.75% AND LEVOBUPIVACAINE 0.5% IN LOWER ABDOMINAL SURGERIES

In 1853, Regional anaesthesia first came into existence when Alexander Wood introduced hollow needle and syringe for drug administration. Regional Anaesthetic techniques are emerging as choice of anaesthesia, because they are relatively inexpensive and easy to administer compared to general anaesthesia. Regional anaesthesia is currently the most effective method of reducing the stress response, especially in patients with surgical procedures involving the lower part of the body. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study is to compare the effectiveness of Levobupivacaine 0.5% and Ropivacaine 0.75% in a volume of 20 mL in epidural neuraxial blockade in 100 patients undergoing elective lower abdominal surgeries. PATIENT AND METHODS The study was prospective randomised, double-blinded controlled study to evaluate the efficacy of Levobupivacaine 0.5% and Ropivacaine 0.75% in epidural route in adult patients undergoing lower abdominal surgeries. This study was carried out in the Department of Anaesthesiology, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Kakatiya Medical College, Warangal from December 2013 to August 2015. The study was approved by the Institutional Ethical Committee. The protocol of the study was reviewed and approved by Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences, Vijayawada. OBSERVATION AND RESULTS Of the 100 patients, 50 belong to Group LB (20 mL of 0.5% Levobupivacaine) and 50 patients belong to Group R (20 mL of 0.75% Ropivacaine). DISCUSSION Regional Anaesthesia has always been associated with excellent outcomes in more than 95% of patients posted for various surgical procedures. Its importance has been recognised not only by the anaesthesiologists, but also by the surgeons. Hence, there is a rapid increase in the usage of regional techniques like spinal, epidural, peripheral nerve blocks, plexus blocks, field blocks, etc. CONCLUSION Both Levobupivacaine and Ropivacaine are relatively new long-acting amide local anaesthetics. Both are pure S-enantiomers of the parent drug Racemic Bupivacaine. Little is known about the comparative efficacy of epidural levobupivacaine with this another widely used long-acting local anaesthetic, ropivacaine.