Ropivacaine For Post-POEM Pain Control

POEM (Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy) is an endoscopic procedure most commonly used to treat achalasia. Achalasia is a disorder resulting from the inability of esophageal muscles to relax. Consequently, patients experience difficulty swallowing, reflux, and weight loss. Treatment options for achalasia are generally divided into 2 categories: A) treatment with medication, or B) treatment via a procedure. Medical treatment is generally reserved for patients to unwell to undergo procedures as the efficacy is low. Additionally, patients tend to experience many side-effects. There are also procedural options used to treat achalasia which include surgical myotomy and POEM. The POEM procedure is advantageous because it is less invasive, but is at least as equally effective for symptomatic relief when compared to the surgical myotomy. The POEM procedure, performed under general anesthesia, involves inserting an endoscope into the esophagus where a specialized knife is able to cut a new pathway through the esophageal tissue. The knife is then used to incise, and therefore loosen, tight muscles within the esophagus, lower esophageal sphincter, and the upper region of the stomach that are responsible for the symptoms. At the conclusion of the procedure, clips are placed in the esophagus to close the incision. Currently, patients are given intravenous ketorolac, oral viscous lidocaine and narcotic analgesics as needed to manage post-operative pain. This study, however, seeks to improve patient's post-operative pain levels by placing ropivacaine (a local anesthetic) into the newly cut pathway that is created in the POEM procedure. It is hypothesized that the topical irrigation of the POEM tunnel with ropivacaine will result in decreased pain scores and a decreased need for additional pain medications. Patients consented to participate in the study will be randomized to receive either ropivacaine (intervention group) or saline (control group). Pain will be assessed at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 6 hours post-admission to the recovery unit using validated pain scales. Additionally, the Quality of Recovery (QoR-15) patient survey, will be completed prior to discharge. This measure will capture the patient's initial post-operative health condition and help capture the overall patient experience.