Comparison of Pain Intensity After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Between Patients with and Without Periportal Lidocaine Infiltration

Early postoperative pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is largely related to port-site trauma. Peri-portal lidocaine infiltration is a simple technique used to reduce this discomfort, but evidence from local clinical settings remains limited. Objectives: To compare postoperative pain intensity between patients receiving peri-portal lidocaine infiltration and those undergoing LC without local anesthesia at a tertiary hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: This prospective cohort included 148 adults undergoing elective LC who were allocated to receive either periportal infiltration of 10 mL 2 % lidocaine (n=74) or no local anaesthetic (n=74). Pain at rest was assessed on a 10-cm visual analogue scale immediately post extubating and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 h. Secondary outcomes were time to ambulation, time to oral intake, and length of hospital stay. SPSS version 23.0 was used to analyze the data. Results: Pain scores were significantly lower in the lidocaine group at the immediate (3.42 ± 0.64 vs 4.38 ± 0.85, p=0.001), 3-hour (2.83 ± 0.63 vs 3.76 ± 0.63, p=0.001), and 6-hour assessments (1.95 ± 0.67 vs 2.53 ± 0.92, p=0.001). Patients receiving lidocaine mobilized earlier (4.43 ± 1.57 h vs 6.32 ± 2.37 h, p=0.001), resumed oral intake sooner (6.18 ± 1.52 h vs 7.70 ± 1.84 h, p=0.001), and had a slightly shorter postoperative stay (9.31 ± 1.57 h vs 9.99 ± 0.07 h, p=0.001). Conclusion: Peri-portal lidocaine infiltration effectively reduces early postoperative pain after LC.