Medical Student University of Washington School of Medicine Seattle, Washington, United States
Introduction: The postoperative management of pain after posterior lumbar interbody fusion has many challenges [1]. Posterior lumbar fusion could cause significant blood loss, pain, prolonged recovery times, limit mobilization, and increase hospitalization stay [1]. Local anesthetic agents in combination with multimodal pain management is commonly used to help control pain after surgery. The use of local liposomal bupivacaine injections may play a critical role in accelerating recovery and decreasing pain after surgery. The purpose of this study is to determine if liposomal bupivacaine has an impact on postoperative pain, length of hospitalization, and inpatient narcotic use.
Methods: Ten patients underwent PLIF surgery in a prospective cohort observational study between August 2022 and November 2022 and were equally distributed between liposomal bupivacaine (LB) and plain local anesthetic group. Demographic information, 1 milligram morphine equivalent, opioid consumption, and length of hospital stay were collected.
Results: There was no statistical difference in the pain scores between the two groups. The liposomal bupivacaine group had a lower opioid usage postoperatively in comparison to control group (p < 0.03). The average length of stay for the liposomal bupivacaine group was 2 days versus 2.5 days for control group (p < 0.05).
Conclusion : In the setting of PLIF surgery, liposomal bupivacaine injections did not significantly reduce postoperative pain or hospitalization stay, compared to control group. Liposomal bupivacaine injections could potentially reduce opioid consumption in opioid tolerant groups.
