Increase in volume of lignocaine/adrenaline-containing local anaesthetic solution causes increase in acute postoperative pain after gingivectomy

A randomized, single-blind, within-patient, crossover study was done in 44 patients (27 women and 17 men mean age 47 years, range 29–63) who had bilateral ‘identical’ gingivectomies. On one occasion a standard volume of local anaesthetic containing lignocaine 2% and adrenaline (1/80 000) was infiltrated into the mucosal tissue before operation. On the other occasion double the standard volume was infiltrated. The intensity of pain postoperatively was recorded by the patients on 100 mm visual analogue scale every hour for an 11-hour observation period. The intensity of pain when double volume had been given was significantly higher than that after the standard volume from 2 to 8 hours postoperatively (P< 0.04), the median (range) being 52.0 mm (0.0–434.0) compared with 30.5 mm (0.0–359.0) after the standard volume (P< 0.005). Doubling the volume of local anaesthetic containing adrenaline that was infiltrated increased the intensity of acute pain after gingivectomy.