Intraperitoneal instillation of bupivacaine and hydrocortisone for postoperative analgesia in laparoscopic cholecystectomy under spinal anaesthesia – A prospective randomized study

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a minimally invasive procedure requiring less hospital stay and early mobilization as compared to open procedure. The aim of our study was to compare the efficacy of intraperitoneal instillation of hydrocortisone with bupivacaine for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy under spinal anesthesia. Materials and Methods: Sixty patients were enrolled in this prospective randomized study. Patients either received 0.125% bupivacaine (Group B) or 0.125% bupivacaine with 100 mg hydrocortisone (Group H) through intraperitoneal drain at the end of surgery. Pain was evaluated every two hourly using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for 24 h. Analgesics were required during this period and the presence of shoulder pain was also noted. Results: Patients in the hydrocortisone group had lower pain scores (2.17 ± 0.47) compared to the bupivacaine group (3.51 ± 1.10). This difference in the mean VAS score was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Similarly, patients requiring rescue analgesia were 60.86% in Group B and 39.14% in Group H and were statistically significant. Time for rescue analgesia was longer in Group H as compared to Group B. Conclusion: Intraperitoneal bupivacaine and hydrocortisone decrease pain and analgesic requirements more effectively than bupivacaine alone after laparoscopic cholecystectomy without causing significant adverse effects.