The pain and discomfort after major surgical procedures are well known. Despite advances in knowledge of pathophysiology, pharmacology of analgesics and the development of more effective techniques for post-operative pain control, many patients continue to experience appreciable discomfort. Patients undergoing major abdominal operations experience severe pain and marked respiratory impairment because of pain in the postoperative period.⁴

We are increasingly becoming aware of the risks associated with the use of invasive techniques in the treatment of postoperative pain. Epidural infusions are certainly more expensive, cumbersome and invasive than intravenous infusions. Furthermore, modern thromboprophylaxis practice with low molecular weight heparins often preclude the use of continuous epidural therapy because of concern over risk of epidural bleeding and hematoma. It is becoming increasingly apparent that local anaesthetic such as lignocaine in the systemic circulation can profoundly alter post-operative pain.  Intravenous lignocaine in the therapeutic dose as used for cardiac arrhythmias treatment, have been shown to reduce postoperative pain scores and opioid consumption; the presence of these drugs in the circulation for only a few hours can suppress pain for days after surgery. Therefore, intravenous lignocaine is appealing as a simple and inexpensive method to gain the same benefits as more invasive and costly techniques.