Efficacy of Injectable Local Anesthetics on Postsurgical Analgesia Following Posterior Colporrhaphy: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blinded Trial

Detailed Summary

Effective post-surgical pain management is a crucial component of a patient's postoperative course following posterior colporrhaphy. Narcotics are the cornerstone for postoperative analgesia with a frequent re-dosing requirement, a lengthy list of side effects and adverse reaction risks. The colorectal, orthopedic and general surgery literatures have reported on an extended-release bupivacaine liposomal injection, Exparel®, which remarkably reduces acute post-operative pain; however, literature regarding this medication specific to Urogynecology and Gynecology is limited. The investigators propose a prospective, randomized, double blind, trial with 120 subjects recruited from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) Urogynecology Clinic to study postsurgical pain control after posterior repair. There will be two arms in the study; one arm with bupivacaine alone and a second arm with bupivacaine mixed with Exparel®(extended-release, liposomal bupivacaine) injected vaginally in patients undergoing posterior colporrhaphy. Subjects will be randomized to receive either 20 milliliter (mL) of plain bupivacaine or 20mL (10ml+10ml) mixture of bupivacaine plus Exparel®. The primary objective of the trial will be to evaluate the postsurgical vaginal pain using a visual analog pain scale at days 1, 2, 3 post-procedure. All subjects will have acetaminophen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug and narcotic pain medication available for pain control regardless of assignment, which is the usual postoperative pain control regimen. The investigators hypothesize a 30% difference in post-operative pain measurements between the two groups. Additional objectives of this study are to evaluate total medication usage on days 1, 2 and 3 and any post-operative voiding and defecatory dysfunction, comparing the two groups

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