Spinal anaesthesia is widely used for lower abdominal and lower limb surgeries as it provides effective pain relief, ease of administration, and early recovery with minimal side effects. Various local anaesthetic drugs are used for spinal anaesthesia, and their effects on postoperative pain relief and recovery differ.

Levobupivacaine is a long-acting local anaesthetic with lower cardiac and neurological toxicity, while ropivacaine is a shorter-acting drug that allows faster recovery of motor function. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of intrathecal hyperbaric levobupivacaine and hyperbaric ropivacaine in providing postoperative analgesia in infra-umbilical surgeries.

This prospective, single-blinded, randomized controlled study will be conducted at Vinayaka Mission’s Medical College and Hospital, Karaikal. Sixty-two patients aged 18 to 60 years, belonging to ASA physical status I or II, scheduled for elective lower abdominal or lower limb surgeries lasting less than two hours will be included.

Participants will be randomly allocated into two groups. Group A will receive intrathecal hyperbaric levobupivacaine 0.5%, and Group B will receive intrathecal hyperbaric ropivacaine 0.75%. Postoperative pain will be assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale during the first 12 hours. Recovery of sensory and motor block, need for rescue analgesics, haemodynamic changes, and adverse events will be recorded and compared.