The efficacy of paracervical injections of lignocaine before laser ablation of the cervical transformation zone. A randomized placebo‐controlled double‐blind clinical trial

Summary In a prospective double‐blind randomized placebo‐controlled clinical trial the efficacy of paracervical lignocaine was compared with saline in reducing pain in 70 women undergoing laser ablation of the cervical transformation zone. Paracervical lignocaine had no significant measurable effect on reducing the pain experience during the laser procedure. The mean subjective visual linear analogue pain score in the lignocaine and saline groups was 27% (95% CI 17 to 38) and 30% (95% CI 24 to 41) respectively (t= 1·0; P = 0·35). The median (quartiles) objective pain scores for the same groups were 0 (0‐2) and 0 (0‐1) respectively (P= 0·58).