Introduction: We present a double blinded prospective randomized controlled trial between viscoseal and intraarticular diamorphine injection in shoulder arthroscopy.

Materials & Methods: Twenty adult patients undergoing arthroscopic subacromial decompression were randomised into two groups. The Viscoseal group received 10ml of Viscoseal and 10ml of 0.5% bupivacaine injected into the subacromial bursa at completion of the procedure (n=10). The matched control group received 10mg diamorphine and 10mls of 0.5% bupivacaine (n=10). All procedures were performed by the senior author. The patients were blinded to the injections given. Post-operative regimes were standardised and all patients were assessed by visual analogue pain scores at recovery and 1, 2, 6, 12 & 24 hours post-operative. The presence or absence of nausea and time to discharge were also noted.

Results: The mean age of the Viscoseal group was 53 (range 34–70) years and in the control group 59 (32–85) years. In the Viscoseal group 40% of patients were discharged on the same day, while there were no early discharges in the diamorphine group this difference did not reach statistical significance (P=0.054 by Fisher’s exact test). There were no significant differences in post-operative pain score or the fraction pain-free between the two groups or in supplementary analgesic drug doses given (all P> 0.08). Only 10% of the Viscoseal group were nauseous post-operatively compared to 60% of the control group (P=0.03 by Fisher’s exact test).

Discussion: Arthroscopic surgery has never been more popular. Patients like smaller scars, early discharge and quick return to daily life and work; for surgeons arthroscopic surgery is skilful, satisfying and digitally recordable; and the NHS benefits from reduced hospital stay and post-operative complications.

Review of the literature involving the use of viscoseal in shoulder surgery revealed no direct comparison with diamorphine, but only to bupivacaine alone.

Many methods of post-arthroscopic pain relief are available. In our hospital diamorphine with bupivacaine is standard, at £2.57 per treatment. In the present study nausea was significantly lower in the Vicoseal group, but no significant intervention was required and oral anti-emetics sufficed. Pain was not significantly different, and there were no significant differences in supplementary analgesia or in early discharge. In our opinion, the significant improvement in nausea alone is not enough to justify the high price of £52.88 per Vicoseal treatment. We believe that the benefits for routine use have not been demonstrated.