Ropivacaine 0.25% and 0.5%, but not 0.125%, provide effective wound infiltration analgesia after outpatient hernia repair, but with sustained plasma drug levels

Background and Objectives. Ropivacaine is a long-acting local anesthetic si milar to bupivacaine, but with lower cardiac toxicity and intrinsic vasocon strictive properties that may reduce the risk and extent of systemic plasma absorption, Plasma levers and risks are associated with the total dose use d and the extent of absorption, with lower doses potentially representing l ess risk. Although both 0.5% and 0.75% ropivacaine provide adequate analges ia for wound infiltration after hernia repair, the efficacy of lower doses and the early systemic absorption have not been reported. Methods. We studi ed postoperative pain and systemic plasma levels following either the injec tion of 30 mt of saline or 0.125%, 0.25%, or 0,5% ropivacaine into the woun ds in 110 healthy patients following hernia repair under spinal anesthesia. Pain was assessed using visual analog scale (VAS) scores and algometer rea dings at rest and after coughing, and oral analgesic requirements were asse ssed in the first 5 hours after surgery and for the week after discharge. R esults. Both 0.25% and 0.5%, ropivacaine provided pain relief following sur gery when compared with saline or 0.125%. No adverse reactions to the drug were reported in any group. Plasma levels of ropivacaine peaked between 30 and 60 minutes, at 0.109, 0.249, and 0.399 mg/L for 0.125%, 0.25%, and 0.5% concentrations, respectively. Although the levels were below those produci ng clinical symptoms, they remained elevated for the entire 2-hour sampling period. This implies an absorption-dependent elimination which is substant ially longer than reported with other routes of injection. Conclusions, Rop ivacaine 0.25% and 0.5% is adequate for pain relief after outpatient hernia repair, whereas the 0.125% solution is no more effective than saline. Prol onged systemic absorption from peripheral injection may be associated with prolonged elevations of plasma concentrations, which potentially could be a ssociated with unexpectedly high plasma levels if repeated injections are p erformed in the perioperative period with higher concentrations or doses.