Added Value of Systemic Lidocaine on Postoperative Pain, Opiate Use and Nausea After Knee Arthroscopy

Local intra-articular injection of anesthetics (LIA) is increasingly used during knee arthroscopy for pain relief. The LIA can only be performed at the end of surgery as the knee joint is continuously flushed during the arthroscopy. As a consequence, an optimal analgesic effect is only obtained one hour after surgery and opiates are typically used as pain relief in the immediate postoperative period. Since these opiates have a number of side effects such as nausea, vomiting and drowsiness, other analgetic methods are desirable. Intravenous administration of lidocaine, a safe, inexpensive analgesic, is already used in major (abdominal) surgeries and might also be a promising method for pain relief in the first hour after knee arthroscopy, in anticipation of the onset of the analgesic effect of the LIA. The aim of this study is to verify if systemic administration of lidocaine has a beneficial effect on the pain immediately after knee arthroscopy. In addition, the effect of systemic lidocaine administration on postoperative nausea, vomiting and general patient comfort will be evaluated.