Lidocaine With Epinephrine vs. Bupivacaine With Epinephrine as Local Anesthetic Agents in Wide-awake Hand Surgery: an Outcome Study of Patients' Pain Perception.

Detailed Summary

This study is focused on comparing patients' pain scores on a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the difference in analgesics use post-operatively (with the same prescription defining only the maximum frequency) between lidocaine with epinephrine \& bupivacaine with epinephrine as local anesthetics in wide-awake hand surgery. The investigators' hypothesis states that a longer acting local anesthetic agent (bupivacaine) would be able to provide better postoperative pain relief demonstrated by lower pain scores on VAS and less analgesics use (as will be recorded on the patient's log). This will be mainly obvious in the first 24 hours postoperative period when the pain is usually at maximum levels and starts to decline thereafter. If the investigators' hypothesis is true, this may potentially change practices of many hand surgeons towards the routine use of longer acting local anesthetics particularly in wide-awake hand surgery, and perhaps could be extrapolated to other surgical specialties. Further, a reduction in postoperative analgesics use would be of paramount clinical importance, as it would reduce their potential side effects.

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