Effect of pre vs post-operative bupivacaine infiltration on the pain following tonsillectomy under general anesthesia

Abstract EN

The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that preinjury blockade using bupivacaine during tonsillectomy can decrease pain beyond the immediate postoperative period.

Thirty patients undergoing tonsillectomy were allocated randomly to one of three study groups to compare the effects on post-operative pain of pre-incisional infiltration using bupivacaine with post-incisional infiltration.

Pain scores were assessed after four hours and on the first, third and seventh days after operation.

The results indicate that pre or post-incisional infiltration of the tonsils with bupivacaine markedly decreases the intensity of pain beyond the immediate postoperative period but verbal pain scores showed no significant differences between the two bupivacaine groups.