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.