Bupivacaine for Post-operative Pain in Mohs

Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is regarded as the gold standard for the treatment of high-risk nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Pain after MMS peaks on the day of surgery and slowly decreases thereafter. The most common post-operative analgesics include acetaminophen, ibuprofen and narcotics. Lidocaine is the most commonly used anesthetic in MMS, but bupivacaine has been shown in other surgical specialties to be an effective adjuvant to reduce post-operative pain and opioid use when injected locally in the immediate postoperative period. Bupivacaine has also been shown to reduce intra-operative pain during MMS. The investigators plan a single-blinded prospective, randomized, controlled trial to determine if post-operative wound infiltration of bupivacaine versus normal saline improves post-operative pain and decreases need for post-operative pain medications including both narcotic and nonnarcotic analgesics.