Is local anesthesia or oral analgesics necessary after mini-laparoscopic functional surgery in children and young adults? A prospective randomized trial

Background: This prospective, randomized, single-blind trial was to determine if local anesthesia or oral analgesics reduce postoperative pain after mini-laparoscopic functional surgery. Methods: One hundred fifteen patients who underwent mini-laparoscopic herniorrhaphy or varicocelectomy were assigned randomly to receive wound infiltration with xylocaine, regular oral analgesics, or a placebo after the procedures. Visual analog pain scores owing to carbon-dioxide irritation and trocar wounds were recorded 2 hours, 1 day, and 1 week after surgery. Levels of pain were measured by a visual analog pain scale. Patients age, type of procedure, pressure of gas insufflated, length of procedure, dosage of oral/parenteral analgesics, and trocar-related complications were evaluated. Results: There were no significant differences between groups in the mean pain scores over trocar wounds 2 hours, 1 day, and 1 week after mini-laparoscopic procedures, respectively. There were no significant differences between groups in satisfaction of pain control regimens. Patients who received local anesthesia required fewer on demand meperidine injections than others. Conclusions: Local anesthesia and routine oral analgesic did not significantly reduce postoperative pain after mini-laparoscopic surgeries in children and young adults.