Liposomal Bupivacaine Use in Alveolar Bone Graft Patients

The study is a randomized, double-blinded trial comparing liposomal bupivacaine (EXPAREL®) with epinephrine (0.25%) local anesthetic with the standard treatment of bupivacaine with epinephrine (0.25%) local anesthetic. The study will enroll patients with cleft lip and palate undergoing an alveolar bone graft (ABG) surgery. Researchers will enroll a maximum of 60 patients from Shriners Children's Chicago over a 2-year period.

After this surgery, patients experience significant pain. Considering both the frequency of reported pain after ABG combined with the current opioid crisis and subsequent recommendations by organizations such as the American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Acute Pain Management and Guidelines from the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia for alternative pain management, the use of liposomal bupivacaine (EXPAREL®) is a potential alternative to reduce post-operative pain in the pediatric ABG population.

Liposomal bupivacaine (LB) is an injectable form of bupivacaine used at the surgical site and that is released over time. Studies have shown that LB better controls pain, especially during the first 24 hours post-surgery. Better pain control has been associated with a reduction in opioid usage and its associated complications.

The study is designed to randomize patients to either the standard of care (bupivacaine with epinephrine) or liposomal bupivacaine with epinephrine to better study pain management within the first five days after ABG surgery in Shriners' cleft lip and palate patients.

The FDA approved EXPAREL® for the adult population in 2011 and for the pediatric population, age 6 years and older in 2021. It is a locally injected single dose analgesia that is released over 72 hours.

The study is considered minimal risk because LB use does not present an increased risk over the standard of care (standard bupivacaine) as it is an alternative form of the same pain medication. Previous studies have shown no additional risk to using the liposomal version of bupivacaine vs standard bupivacaine in ABG surgeries.

Patients will participate up to 5 days following surgery (surgery day is considered day 0) with reported pain, activity scores, and opioid use collected through either paper, electronic, or phone questionnaires. Surgeons and patients will be unaware of which cohort the patient will be randomized to be part of. The pharmacist, anesthesiologist, and research coordinator may all be aware of which drug is administered.

Researchers will obtain informed consent from the participants and/or their legally authorized representatives before surgery.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients that are 6 and older who have a diagnosis of cleft lip and/or palate with a scheduled surgery that involves an alveolar bone graft.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients under age 6 are excluded from this study as EXPAREL® is not FDA approved for this group.
• Patients with a history of allergic or adverse reaction to any drug involved in the study (EXPAREL, Epinephrine, or Bupivacaine).
• Patients with a history of cardiovascular disease.