Post-operative Epidural Analgesia with Ropivacaine and Tramadol in Lower Abdominal Surgery

Background: Post-operative pain is a major concern for patients undergoing surgery. The fear of pain keeps on preying on their minds leading to various stress related dysfunctions. The present study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of two combinations of Ropivacaine & Tramadol in preventing post-operative pain in patients undergoing lower abdominal surgery. Patients and Methods: 60 ASA I and II patients undergoing lower abdominal surgery were randomly assigned to two groups of thirty patients each, receiving either 50mg Tramadol with 0.2% Ropivacaine (Group A) or 100mg Tramadol with 0.2% Ropivacaine (Group B) epidurally. Total volume injected was 10ml in each case. Epidural top-ups were given every 8 hourly for post-operative analgesia till 48 hrs after surgery. VAS was used to assess analgesia. Results: Demographic data and baseline parameters were comparable in both the groups. Better analgesia, as seen by lower VAS scores, was observed in Group B. Side-effects were similar in both the groups. Conclusion: 100mg Tramadol as an adjuvant to Ropivacaine 0.2% provides better analgesia as compared to 50mg Tramadol, without significant side-effects. Key Words: Ropivacaine, Tramadol, VAS, Post-operative Analgesia.