Role of pre-emptive analgesia in reduction mammaplasty

Pre-emptive analgesia is an antinociceptive treatment that prevents altered central excitability from high intensity noxious stimuli. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of pre-emptive analgesia in patients due to have elective breast reduction that usually requires drugs for postoper ative pain control. Sixty women, ASA grades I-II, were randomly divided int o two groups: 30 patients were given ropivacaine infiltration 1.5 mg/ml plu s adrenaline 1/200000 in normal saline 100 ml before the skin incision, and 30 had normal saline 100 ml plus adrenaline 1/200000 infiltrated. Postoper ative pain was evaluated by an observer who was unaware of the treatment gi ven, and scored on a visual analogue score (VAS) during the first 72 hours postoperatively. Analgesic requirements were recorded. There was a statisti cally significant difference between groups in the amount of additional pai n control required during the early postoperative period, which suggests th at pre-emptive analgesia reduces pain after reduction mammaplasty.