EFFECT OF ADDITION OF DEXAMETHASONE TO LEVOBUPIVACAINE ON POST-OPERATIVE ANALGESIA IN ULTRASONOGRAPHY-GUIDED TRANSVERSUS ABDOMINIS PLANE BLOCK FOR INGUINAL HERNIA REPAIR: A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

NTRODUCTION- Postoperative pain is literally a form of acute pain which follows surgical insult with an inammatory reaction and initiation of an afferent neuronal signal bombardment. Due to inadequate management of postoperative pain many patients continue to suffer unnecessarily. Hence it is understood that managing the post operative pain effectively is the need of the hour to reduce postoperative morbidity. AIMS - To evaluate and compare the duration of sensory blockade of 0.25% levobupivacaine with and without dexamethasone in ultrasonography-guided transversus abdominis plane(TAP) block. METHODS-After obtaining approval from Institutional ethical committee, a prospective randomized comparative study was carried out in 60 patients of ASA Grade I & II undergoing inguinal hernia repair under spinal anaesthesia. Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups; Group L(n=30) received 30ml of 0.25% Levobupivacaine with 2ml of Normal saline (NS) while Group D (n=30) received 30ml of 0.25% Levobupivacaine with 8mg Dexamethasone. RESULTS- Patients in group D (8.07±1.34 hr) had prolonged duration of analgesia in comparison to group L (5.33±1.92 hr) (p= 0.000). CONCLUSION- In the inguinal hernia repair surgeries performed under spinal anaesthesia with ultrasonography-guided TAP block, addition of dexamethasone was superior to levobupivacaine alone in providing better and prolonged post-operative analgesia with minimal post-operative nausea and vomiting