Postoperative pain treatment should be multimodal and opioid sparing. Thoracic epidural analgesia could relieve pain after laparoscopic surgery. Although ERAS guidelines suggest to use less invasive pain relieve technique, opioids are widely used perioperatively, despite of their side effects. Non-opioids and 5% lidocaine patches, used topicaly, could effectively reduce opioid consumption and their side effects.
Namely, efficient perioperative pain treatment is important to prevent late neuropathic pain, also after laparoscopic lower abdominal surgery. Its incidence is usually low compared to open surgery.
The aim of present study was to evaluate, if opioid consumption in laparoscopic colorectal surgery could be reduced with lidocaine patch at the wound site or with infusion of metamizole and tramadol and if the results meets epidural analgesia. We also compared the incidence of postoperative neuropathic pain among groups.
Prospective, randomised trial with 4 parallel groups was conducted at the University medical centre (UMC) Ljubljana. ASA (American Society of Anaesthesiologists) Class 2-3 high risk surgical patients from the Clinical department of abdominal surgery were included in the study. Adult patients that underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgery were included.
