Comparative Evaluation of Levobupivacaine with Fentanyl Versus Bupivacaine with Fentanyl for Postoperative Epidural Analgesia in Patients Undergoing Gynae-Oncological Surgeries: A Randomised Clinical Study

Introduction: Epidural analgesia is one of the preferred mode of perioperative management. Neuraxial opioids like fentanyl when used in epidural offer advantage of augmenting local anaesthetic effect and reducing the anaesthetic and analgesic requirement.

Aim: To compare the adequacy of analgesia, requirement of rescue analgesics between 0.125% bupivacaine with 2 mcg/cc fentanyl and 0.125% levobupivacaine with 2 mcg/cc fentanyl.

Materials and Methods: The randomised clinical study was carried out from September 2016 to May 2017 in 70 patients (35 in each group) of American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) I and II scheduled for elective gynae-oncological surgeries. The epidural analgesia in group Bupivacaine with Fentanyl (BF) was 0.125% Bupivacaine with 2 mcg/cc Fentanyl and group Levobupivacaine with Fentanyl (LF) was 0.125% Levobupivacaine with 2 mcg/cc fentanyl. All data was statistically analysed and compared using Student t-test, Chi-square/Fischer’s-exact test.

Results: Total of 70 patients were analysed, 35 each in Group BF (mean age: 50.06±7.19 years) and Group LF (mean age: 46.43±8.41 years). Both the groups were compatible with regard to demographic data and haemodynamic variables. The mean Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score was higher in group BF compared to group LF at 0,1,4,6,1,2 and 18 hours but the observed difference in both the groups was not statistically significant except at 2nd (p-value: 0.016) and 24th hour (p-value 0.017). Number of rescue analgesics as epidural boluses (p-value=0.001) and paracetamol (p-value=0.044) requirement were more in group BF compared to group LF, respectively.

Conclusion: On account of adequate postoperative analgesia, haemodynamic stability, levobupivacaine with fentanyl is a better option than bupivacaine with fentanyl for epidural infusion.