Comparative efficacy of ropivacaine and bupivacaine infiltrative analgesia in otoplasty.

Abstract

A prospective double-blind study was conducted to compare the anesthetic efficacy of ropivacaine and bupivacaine in a bilaterally symmetrical otoplasty model. Because ropivacaine has a significantly lower toxic potential than bupivacaine, it may be established as the anesthetic agent of choice for low-dose infiltration anesthesia in routine aesthetic facial operations. Each of the 24 adult patients undergoing bilateral otoplasty received infiltration with ropivacaine in 1 auricle and an equal volume of bupivacaine in the other. Patients were requested to assess their pain separately in each side at the times of infiltration, during cartilage scoring, and 2, 6, and 10 hours postoperatively on a visual analog scale. Intraoperative success rates were similar, and overall analgesia achieved at 2 hours, 6 hours, and 10 hours postoperatively was not found to be statistically different between ropivacaine and bupivacaine. The authors conclude that ropivacaine can be used as an effective alternative to bupivacaine in otoplasty.