Trials volume 21 , Article number: Cite this article. Metrics details. Perineal pain due to episiotomy is commonly reported and can be severe enough to disturb the motherβinfant dyad during the postpartum period.
Large, adequately powered, multicenter, randomized controlled trials are required to evaluate the impact of ropivacaine infiltration on perineal pain and mid- and long-term quality of life before the widespread use of ropivacaine to prevent perineal pain after episiotomy can be recommended. Ropivacaine is a promising candidate drug, inexpensive, and easy to administer, and it would be suitable to include in the routine management of deliveries in labor ward.
This study will investigate if perineal ropivacaine infiltration just after birth can reduce mid- and long-term postpartum pain and increase quality of life in women with mediolateral episiotomy.
Registered on 14 April Peer Review reports. Episiotomy is a surgical enlargement of the vaginal orifice performed with scissors and requires sutures to be repaired [ 1 ]. The midwife or the obstetrician can perform an episiotomy to facilitate childbirth in case of severe fetal heart rate anomaly, and it is occasionally conducted to prevent obstetric anal sphincter injury in vaginal delivery [ 2 ].
Considering all maternal consequences of episiotomy, its routine use has been questioned, and restrictive episiotomy policies are recommended by clinical practice guidelines [ 3 ]. Despite this restrictive policy, episiotomy is still a common surgical procedure [ 4 ]. Pain after the perineal wound apart from episiotomy is also reported but less studied because of the high variability of the localization and the depth of the tear.
