A Comparative Trial of Marcaine Administration in Laparoscopic Gynecologic Surgery Using Either a Pre- or Post-operative Injection.

Post-operative pain control is a key component of a patient's experience with surgery. In laparoscopic surgery, small (5 to 12mm) incisions are made, usually at the umbilicus and/on at either side of the lower abdomen, to allow insertion of a laparoscopic camera ("scope") and various laparoscopic instruments. The advantages for the patient of this approach compared to conventional open surgery include faster recovery with a significantly shorter hospital stay, less pain and less requirements for pain medication with a better cosmetic outcome. In many cases, the patient will go home within 24 hours of surgery. Many laparoscopic surgeons administer local anesthesia at the incision sites to assist in post-operative pain control. The best method for administration of the local anesthetic for optimal pain relief remains unclear. Some research has demonstrated that perhaps preemptive administration of local anesthetic improves post-operative pain control although in these studies, differences in patient populations and perception of pain between different patients makes comparison difficult. Optimizing analgesia protocols would benefit patients resulting in better pain relief and less use of narcotic analgesics with their associated side effects.