Lay summary
Improving the delivery of surgical services to communities and whanau is at the forefront of clinical research. The better our services, the better we can reconnect with our communities by ensuing trustworthy processes that minimise adversity. Improving pain and fatigue after abdominal surgery is essential with an ageing population and the growing obesity epidemic in New Zealand, which are considerable risk factors for the development of abdominal disease and pathology like cancer. The growing requirement of abdominal surgery for management of these disease processes, means attentiveness to perioperative comfort and recovery is vital. Severe pain after abdominal surgery is an unsolved problem that impacts on patient wellbeing, satisfaction and quality of life. Evidence has shown that intraperitoneal local anaesthetic (IPLA) is a valuable addition for postoperative pain relief. We seek to develop a novel IPLA pain-sparing technique that reduces pain and dependency on morphine and its equivalents following abdominal surgery.