Efficacy of peribulbar bupivacaine at the end of surgery in the management of postoperative pain after scleral buckling

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of peribulbar bupivacaine with routine analgesics for pain management in patients undergoing scleral buckling. Methods: In total, 72 patients undergoing scleral buckling or combined with vitrectomy were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomized into two groups, each containing 36 patients. Patients of group A received 5 mL of bupivacaine (0.5%) injection at the end of surgery, whereas group B patients received routine analgesics. The postoperative pain score was assessed in the first 24 hours of the postoperative period with the visual pain analog score. Results: Maximum postoperative pain scores were lower in patients receiving bupivacaine block (median: 3; range: 3–7) than in the control group (median: 5; range: 3–9). Pain scores in group A were lower than in the control group both at 3 and 6 hours after surgery, which was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Four patients in group A and 17 patients in group B needed additional analgesia in the first 24 hours of the postoperative period. In addition, two patients in group A and seven patients in group B experienced episodes of nausea and vomiting in the first 24 hours of surgery. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the postoperative experience of patients undergoing scleral buckling surgery can be made more comfortable with the use of bupivacaine block at the end of surgery.