The effect of adding tramadol to subfascial bupivacaine on postopertaive pain after inguinal hernia repair

Aims and Acute pain after operation is one of the common side effects. Prescription of systemic analgesics and narcotics has however also various side effects; therefore، a more appropriate method is the creation of local pain relief، and it is desirable to provide better and longer-lasting analgesia by the infusion of lower doses of drugs. This study compared the effects of adding tramadol to subfascial space with systemic injection of bupivacaine on pain after hernia repair surgery. Methods and Materials: In this randomized Single Blind study، 90 patients، candidate for one-way inguinal hernia repair، were divided into three groups. In the first group، bupivacaine and tramadol، in the second group bupivacaine and normal saline were injected below the fascia of external oblique muscle at the end of the operation; and the third group received intramuscular tramadol at the mentioned location in addition to bupivacaine and normal saline. After operation، patients were compared in terms of pain intensity، nausea، vomiting، and need for analgesic. Data analysis was done by use of SPSS 20 software. The dynamic pain intensity in group 1 was lower than group 2 within 4 hours after operation. Moreover، within 8 hours after operation، the dynamic and static pain intensities in group 1 were lower than the other groups. No significant difference was observed between groups in terms of Nausea and vomiting (p=0. 11). Besides، no significant difference was observed between the three groups in terms of need for analgesia and consciousness level. Tramadol addition to bupivacaine reduces postoperative pain in hernia surgery without being associated with any additional side effect such as nausea، vomiting، and loss of consciousness.