Wound infiltration with bupivacaine 0.5% with or without adrenaline does not decrease pain after thyroidectomy

OBJECTIVES: To study the effect of local wound infiltration with and without adrenaline on pain perception after thyroidectomy using the visual analog score (VAS). Methods: A prospective randomized controlled double-blinded study was conducted between May 2015 and June 2016 at The University of Jordan Hospital, Amman, Jordan. Eighty-nine patients undergoing planned thyroidectomy were included in the study. Patients were divided randomly into 3 groups: Group A, local wound infiltration with bupivacaine 0.5% was administered; Group B, bupivacaine 0.5% with adrenaline was administered; Group C (control), no infiltration was performed. Standardized thyroidectomies were performed in the 3 groups. Pain perception was measured using VAS at 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery. A comparison between the 3 groups was carried out. Results: No significant differences among the 3 groups were observed at all time points (p=0.246). Visual analog scores were significantly lower at 12 and 24 hours after operations. Conclusion: Local wound infiltration with bupivacaine 0.5% does not decrease pain perception after thyroidectomy performed under general anesthesia, and adding adrenaline does not enhance its effect.