ABSTRACT
Aims and objectives: to compare efficacy, potency, onset of action, effective duration of analgesia, sensory and motor block, peri operative haemodyamic parameters and complications following epidural bupivacaine and ropivacaine. Methods and material: sixty patients of asa i and ii scheduled for lower limb surgery were included in double blind randomized comparison of epidural ropivacaine 0.75% and bupivacaine 0.5%. we divided patients in two groups. group a patients were given inj. bupivacaine 0.5% 20 ml and group b patients were given inj. ropivacaine 0.75% 20 ml via epidural route. we recorded time of onset, highest level, peak and duration for motor and sensory block along with haemodyamic changes and side effects for both drugs. Summary: mean time to initial onset of adequate level of sensory block(t10) was. 21.76±3.37 min in group a and 22.53± 3.09 min in group b(p>0.05). total duration of sensory block was 403±16.70 min in group a and 413.5±24.67 min in group b (p=0.0007). mean time to initial onset of motor block was 12.13±2.16 in group a and 14.4±3.79 min in group b(p<0.05). peak motor blockade was achieved in 30.17±3.82 min in group a and 29.97±3.27 min in group b (p>0.05). total duration of motor block was 292±21.92 min in group a and 262.5±31.03 min in group b(p 0.0007).Conclusion: ropivacaine is safer and effective alternative to bupivacaine in epidural anesthesia.