Analgesic efficacy of the incisional infiltration of ropivacaine vs ropivacaine with dexamethasone in the elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background: Incisional pain is the main obstacle for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy as an outpatient. We evaluated the analgesic efficacy of local infiltration of ropivacaine with dexamethasone (Rop/Dx), compared with ropivacaine (Rop) alone, during the first 24 hours postoperative of this surgery. Our hypothesis is that incisional pain intensity will be lower in patients of the group Rop/Dx. Methods: In a randomized, controlled, double-blind trial clinical, 80 patients were divided into two groups. Group Rop (n= 40) received pre and post-incisional infiltration with 150 mg of ropivacaine in 8 mL of 0.9% saline, while group Rop/Dx (n= 40) received 150 mg of ropivacaine with 8 mg of dexamethasone in 6 mL of 0.9% saline. The intensity of pain at rest and movement was assessed at 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours postoperatively by a numerical rating scale of 11 points. Results: Incisional pain scores in group Rop/Dx were significantly lower, compared to the group Rop, at 12 hours (p= 0.05) and 24 hours (p= 0.01) at rest and at 12 hours (p= 0.04) and 24 hours (p= 0.01) during movement postoperatively. Conclusions: We found initial evidence that ropivacaine with dexamethasone for local infiltration decreased incisional pain intensity after 12 hours post-elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy with a good safety profile.