Objective: To assess the effect of intraperitoneal instillation of lidocaine on postoperative pain after minor gynecological laparoscopic surgery.
Method: A prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 75 patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopy randomized to receive intraperitoneal instillation of either 120 mg of lidocaine (n=60) or normal saline (n=15) at the end of surgery. Postoperative pain was evaluated by Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (WBFS) score at 15 minutes and at 1, 2, 4, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively.
Results: The WBFS score was lower for the lidocaine group than for the control group at 1, 2, and 4 hours after surgery (P=0.023). There was no difference in WBFS scores between the 2 groups at 15 minutes (P=0.46), 12 hours (P=0.13), and 24 hours (P=0.07) after surgery.
Conclusion: Intraperitoneal instillation of lidocaine was effective in reducing postoperative pain after minor gynecological laparoscopic procedures.