The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if preoperative nerve block (quadratus lumborum \[QL\] block) works to improve pain control during and after laparoscopic hysterectomy. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does QL block decrease the amount of narcotic medication needed during surgery? Does QL block decrease the amount of narcotic medication needed after surgery?
Researchers will compare QL block to local injection of a numbing medication at each incision site (the current standard practice) to see if QL block works to decrease surgical pain.
Participants will be randomly assigned to receive one of the two following interventions:
1. QL block before surgery with a long-acting numbing medicine (liposomal bupivacaine) and then injection of placebo (saline) at each incision site in the operating room. 2. QL block before surgery with placebo (saline) and then injection of local numbing medicine (bupivacaine) at each incision site in the operating room.
Participants will also:
* Visit the clinic/hospital for a pre-operative appointment, the surgical procedure, and a 4-6 week post-operative appointment (all standard visits even if not participating in research) * Complete a questionnaire electronically, or by phone, that takes \<10 minutes at the pre-operative appointment and on postoperative days 1, 3, 5, 14, and 4-6 weeks.
18 years or older
scheduled to undergo laparoscopic hysterectomy
able to speak and understand English
DEERs eligible (eligible for healthcare within military heath system)
pre-operative opioid use
pre-operative pain management clinic patient
planned concomitant prolapse or incontinence procedure
planned concomitant non-gynecologic abdominal procedure (i.e. hernia repair)