We compared the effects of ropivacaine with those of lidocaine containing adrenalin on the hemodynamics, additional local anesthetic requirement, duration of anesthetic action and oral analgesic anodine requirement when used for inferior alveolar nerve block during implant surgery.
The subjects consisted of 40 patients (14 males and 26 females, aged 26-76 years) undergoing implant surgery in the unilateral mandibular molar area under intravenous sedation. The local anesthetics used in the present study were: 1) 3mL of 2% lidocaine containing 1/73000 adrenalin (Group L) and 2) 3 mL of 0.75% ropivacaine (Group R) .
The following results were obtained:
1. The incidence of changes in blood pressure (number of patients who experienced blood pressure changes in each group) did not differ significantly between the two groups (a change of more than 20% of the preoperative baseline blood pressure was regarded as“blood pressure change”) .
2. No patients in either group received additional local anesthetics.
3. The incidence of numbness of the lower lip was significantly higher in Group R than Group L at 6 and 9 hours postoperatively.
4. The duration of the analgesic effect was significantly longer in Group R (652.2 minutes) than in Group L (371.3 minutes) .
5. The time to initial oral analgesic anodyne administration was significantly longer in Group R (559.5 minutes) than in Group L (308.3 minutes) .
6. The number of times of oral anodyne consumption was significantly higher in Group L (1.15 times) than in Group R (0.70 times) .
These results suggest that more effective pain control can be achieved with 0.75% ropivacaine than with 2% lidocaine containing 1/73, 000 adrenalin when used for inferior alveolar nerve block during implant surgery.