An assessment of the value of intraperitoneal meperidine for analgesia postlaparoscopic tubal ligation

Patients undergoing laparoscopic procedures may experience postoperative pa in. The intraperitoneal (IP) administration of drugs is controversial but h as proven effective in some studies for the relief of postoperative pain. H owever, some investigators have not been able to confirm the analgesic effi cacy of IP local anesthetics. The administration of TP opioids for the reli ef of postoperative pain has received little attention. At the end of lapar oscopic tubal ligation, 100 patients received 80 mL of 0.125% bupivacaine w ith 1:200,000 epinephrine IP and 50 mg of meperidine either IP or IM. Posto perative pain scores were measured at rest and with movement. Pain scores w ere significantly lower in the group receiving the IP meperidine both at re st (P < 0.01) and with movement (P < 0.05). We conclude that the combinatio n of intraperitoneal bupivacaine and intraperitoneal meperidine was better than the combination of IP bupivacaine and IM meperidine for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing laparoscopic tubal ligation.