ObjectiveTo assess postoperative analgesia and early rehabilitation of continuous incision infiltration with ropivacaine in open gastrectomy. MethodsFrom June 2011 to October 2014, 50 patients underwent open gastrectomy were divided into two groups:standard analgesic therapy group (Abbreviation:standard group, n=25) and continuous incision infiltration with ropivacaine group (Abbreviation:ropivacaine group, n=25). All the patients were also given patient controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA). Points of visual analog scale (VAS), Bruggrmann comfort scale (BCS), and nausea and vomiting were assessed at different time during the first 48 hours postoperatively. Total sufentanil dosage, the first postoperative ambulation time, bowel recovery time, postoperative hospital stay, and incision infection rate were compared between two groups. ResultsAt 4 h, 8 h, 16 h, 24 h, 48 h postoperatively, the points of VAS in the ropivacaine group were significantly lower than those in the standard group (P < 0.05), the points of BCS in the ropivacaine group were significantly higher than those in the standard group (P < 0.05). Compared with the standard group, the dosage of sufentanil was significantly less (P < 0.05), the bowel recovery time, the first postoperative ambulation time, and the postoperative hospital stay were significantly shorter (P < 0.05), the point of nausea and vomiting was significantly lower (P < 0.05) at 48 h postoperatively in the ropivacaine group. There was no difference of the incision infection rate between the two groups (P > 0.05). ConclusionContinuous incision infiltration with ropivacaine is effective and safe to relief postoperative pain and accelerate patient's recovery after open gastrectomy.