Comparison of ropivacaine with and without fentanyl vs bupivacaine with fentanyl for postoperative epidural analgesia in bilateral total knee replacement surgery

After bilateral TKR, ropivacaine-fentanyl combination administered through a PCEA system resulted in “superior” analgesic efficacy, that is, pain relief without motor blockade, than “ropivacaine alone” (lesser pain relief) and bupivacaine-fentanyl (pain relief but with attendant motor blockade). Overall, the addition of fentanyl to epidural local anesthetic returned favorable postoperative analgesia profile and patient satisfaction with minor incidence of opioid-related side effects.