Transcervical or intraperitoneal analgesia for laparoscopic tubal sterilization: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: To test the effectiveness of analgesia administered transcervically through a uterine manipulator compared with direct topical application to the fallopian tubes for relief of postoperative pain after interval laparoscopic tubal sterilization. METHODS: Sixty-one women who had laparoscopic sterilization were enrolled in a randomized, double-masked clinical trial comparing analgesia with 75 mg of bupivacaine administered through a uterine manipulator with 75 mg of bupivacaine applied directly to the fallopian tubes through a secondary trocar. Results were evaluated using visual analog scale pain levels, time of administration of analgesics, total analgesics required, and recovery room times. We calculated that a sample size of 60 women would detect a 30% difference in pain levels with a power of 80% at a significance level of .05. RESULTS: In the 59 women who completed the study, there were no differences in the two groups in pain levels, amounts of medications used, or times to administration of postoperative analgesia. Mean recovery room time was shorter in the group given analgesia transcervically, but that difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: There were no significant differences in postoperative pain relief between transcervical administration and topical application of analgesia for laparoscopic tubal sterilization.