EXPAREL Post-tonsillectomy Clinical Trial

Summary

Tonsillectomy is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in the United States. The primary indications for tonsillectomy in the adult population include recurrent pharyngitis, chronic tonsillitis, and obstructive pathology. Tonsillectomy is often associated with severe postoperative pain, which can result in prolonged poor oral intake, dehydration, and the need for high dose narcotics. In severely dehydrated patients, epithelial shedding and necrosis of soft tissues at the surgical site can lead to postoperative complications such as bleeding, delayed healing, and severe pain. The goal for this study is to explore the use of a long acting local anesthetic bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension (Exparel) to manage pain experienced by adult patients after tonsillectomy

Detailed Description

The proposed investigation will examine whether Exparel (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension 1.3%-13.3 mg/mL) when used as a post-excision adjunct to the standard of care bupivacaine HCl 0.25% (2.5 mg/mL) with Epinephrine (5mcg/mL), will decrease the patient's post-tonsillectomy experience of pain intensity, especially for the first three days after surgery, and correspondingly reduce the requirement for pain medications and improve outcomes.

Eligibility Criteria

Interventions