Pain Perception After Tubal Ligation

Retrospective Investigation of Postoperative Pain Perception After Laparoscopic Tubal Sterilization

The purpose of this study is to attempt to determine retrospectively whether there was a statistically significant difference in patient need for postoperative narcotics between two different groups of women who received a laparoscopic tubal ligation. One group received a local anesthetic injection or gel at the surgical sites, in addition to general anesthesia. The other group did not receive any local anesthetic but did receive general anesthesia. The investigators hypothesize that the group that received the local anesthetic injection or gel had lower average postoperative narcotic requirements and shorter postoperative dismissal to home times than the group that did not receive the auxiliary local anesthetic.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Female, age 21-52,having a laparoscopic tubal ligation by the fallopia ring method at Oklahoma State University Medical Center between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2009

Exclusion Criteria:

• We will exclude women with the following comorbid conditions, since they may alter the patient's pain level or her perception of pain after the tubal ligation: history of chronic pelvic pain, history of pelvic inflammatory disease, opiate abuse, conversion to open procedure, unsuccessful tubal ligation, laceration of tube, more than one ring placed on single tube, admittance to the hospital, additional procedures performed, endometriosis, allergy to marcaine, lidocaine, or bupivicaine.