Gastrointestinal (GI) surgery encompasses a range of surgical procedures that involve abdominal incision. Gastrointestinal surgery may be performed to treat an abdominal aortic aneurysm, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, gallbladder disease, bile duct disease and morbid obesity. Although less invasive laparoscopic procedures are performed when warranted, open abdominal surgery is required for certain indications and for more complicated or advanced cases.~Bupivacaine is a local anesthetic (pain medicine) that has an established safety profile. Collagen is a protein that is found in all mammals. The CollaRx Bupivacaine implant is a thin flat sponge made out of collagen that comes for cow tendons and contains bupivacaine. When inserted into a surgical site, the collagen breaks down and bupivacaine is released at the site but very little is absorbed into the blood stream. The high levels of bupivacaine at the surgical site may result in less pain for several days after surgery.~This study will compare the amount of narcotic pain medication required after surgery in patients who receive the CollaRx Bupivacaine implant or a plain collagen sponge.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether the CollaRx Bupivacaine Implant (bupivacaine sponge) is safe and effective in reducing the amount of narcotic pain medication needed to control pain during the first 24 hours after gastrointestinal (GI) surgery.