Intraoperative bupivacaine diminishes pain after lumbar discectomy. A randomised double-blind study

Abstract

A randomised double-blind study was carried out on 60 patients undergoing elective lumbar discectomy. Patients in the study group (n = 30) received an injection of 10 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine into the wound; the control group (n = 30) received none. Postoperative pain was measured by a visual analogue pain scale and by the amount of morphine administered by a patient-controlled analgesia system. Patients in the study group had lower pain scores, used less morphine, waited longer until their first demand for analgesia and reported their postoperative pain to be less severe.