Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Liposomal Bupivacaine Following Abdominoplasty

Postoperative pain, nausea, and vomiting can be frustrating sequelae of elective surgery. Poorly managed postoperative pain can lead to increased opioid use, increased postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), delayed return to work and usual activities, unplanned hospital admissions, surgical complications, and patient dissatisfaction. In light of the growing opioid epidemic in the United States, any intervention that potentially minimizes opioid use may have meaningful individual and societal impact. Despite the use of multiple techniques for managing postoperative pain in abdominoplasty patients, pain control continues to be a challenge for this patient population.

One technique commonly employed to improve pain control is the use of abdominal wall and incisional injection of local anesthetic agents to block the sensory nerves supplying the anterior abdominal wall and abdominal incisions in order to decrease sensation and pain in the abdomen in the setting of abdominoplasty surgery. Local anesthetic often used in this procedure is bupivacaine (Marcaine) ± epinephrine. However, in 2012, a liposomal bupivacaine suspension (Exparel; Pacira BioSciences, Inc, San Diego, California) was introduced as a longer-acting local anesthetic used for management of postoperative pain. At the University of Wisconsin, patients undergoing abdominoplasty routinely receive intraoperative injection of local anesthetic to the abdominal wall and abdominal incisions, using bupivacaine as the local anesthetic, along with standard multimodal perioperative pain management including cool compresses, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, and opioids.

The overall purpose of this study is to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of liposomal bupivacaine in optimizing pain control, minimizing the risk of PONV, and improving recovery after abdominoplasty. This will be done by comparing intraoperative abdominal wall and incisional injection of bupivacaine to bupivacaine plus liposomal bupivacaine in patients undergoing abdominoplasty. This will be studied using pain assessments, validated surveys, medication logs and review of medical records.