Does local anesthetic reduce pain, opioid use after third-molar extraction?

Investigators have examined the potential benefit of the extended-release local anesthetic liposomal bupivacaine in patients undergoing third-molar extraction.

In a systematic review and meta-analysis published in Cureus, the investigators used data from the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases to assess whether liposomal bupivacaine could provide longer pain relief and minimize the use of postoperative opioids in patients undergoing third-molar extraction. They identified four randomized controlled trials and observational studies involving more than 850 patients.

The investigators noted that although liposomal bupivacaine demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in opioid consumption within 48 hours of the procedure, the results were clinically negligible. Further, there were no statistically significant differences in postoperative pain intensity and cumulative pain scores within 48 hours between the liposomal bupivacaine and control groups.

Despite the negative findings, the investigators suggested that larger randomized controlled trials could help clarify whether liposomal bupivacaine may offer analgesic and opioid use-related benefits in patients undergoing third-molar extraction.

Read more: Cureus

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