Acute postoperative pain control after spine surgery is challenging for an anaesthesiologist. It has multifactorial causes and thus has to be treated with multimodal approach. This improves the outcome of the patient,

This experimental randomized study was conducted at a tertiary care, multispecialty hospital. 75 patients undergoing lumbar microdissectomy were randomized into 3 groups. In group I a multiport catheter was inserted subcutaneously and incision was closed, bolus of 20 ml0.25 % levobupivacaine was given, infusion started at 5ml/hr and intravenous morphine via patient controlled analgesia pump . In group E epidural catheter was inserted at the same level by surgeon and incision closed, infusion started at the rate of 5 ml/hr of 0.25 % levobupivacaine and intravenous morphine via P.C.A. In group P only intravenous P.C.A morphine was started. Pain scores VAS static, dynamic and postoperative pain score were recorded at different time intervals. Morphine consumption, patient satisfaction, quality of sleep, readiness for future repetition and side effects was also recorded.

A statistically significant decrease was seen in group I in VAS static, dynamic, PPS and morphine consumption as compared to the other 2 groups. Postoperative outcome and satisfaction was better in group I as compared to other two groups,

Continuous wound infiltration is a simple and effective means of providing improved postoperative analgesia, decreasing postoperative opioid requirement with greater patient statisfaction and fewer side effects compared to epidural and intravenous opioid in patients undergoing lumbar microdissectomy