Adequate postoperative pain control is still a major problem for many surgical patients. Identifying better ways of controlling pain during and after surgery remains an ongoing goal of research in anesthesia. Continuous infusion of IV lidocaine has been identified in the anesthetic literature as a valuable supplement to general anesthesia. Approximately 20% of all total abdominal hysterectomies at The Ottawa Hospital today are done using a continuous IV lidocaine infusion in addition to general anesthesia. Considering its low cost, ease of administration, and low incidence of side effects, lidocaine presents an attractive anesthetic option.