Efficacy of bupivacaine injection after pulsed radiofrequency ablation in the management of trigeminal facial pain: A prospective, randomized, and double-blind study

To assess the effect of bupivacaine application following pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) ablation on trigeminal facial pain. A total of 73 patients with trigeminal facial pain refractory to conservative therapy were randomized into 2 groups. Group I subjects underwent PRF ablation procedure, followed by the injection of 1 ml of bupivacaine. Whereas, Group II underwent the same procedure followed by the injection of 1 ml of normal saline. Pain relief duration, the time of onset of pain relief, and analgesic effect evaluated by numerical pain rating scale were considered as outcomes. Thirty-nine patients in Group I and 34 in Group II. The duration of pain relief in the 2 groups was comparable (5 months in Group I vs. 6 months in Group II, =0.53). The onset of pain relief in the patients of Group I was shorter than Group II (0 days vs. 4.5 days,