A COMPARISON BETWEEN PREINCISIONAL AND POSTINCISIONAL LIDOCAINE INFILTRATION AND POSTOPERATIVE PAIN

We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial to compare the efficacy of preincisional and postincisional wound infiltration with 1% lidocai ne (40 mL) on the postoperative pain of 37 patients scheduled for elec tive inguinal herniotomy. The demand for additional postoperative anal gesics occurred earlier in those who received lidocaine infiltration a fter incision (165 min) than in those who received preincisional lidoc aine (225 min, P < 0.05). The preincisional lidocaine infiltration gro up also had fewer patients requiring supplemental analgesics (58%) tha n the postincisional group (94%) (P < 0.05). We conclude that preincis ional infiltration of the surgical wound with lidocaine is a more effe ctive method of providing postoperative analgesia than is postincision al infiltration.