A sterilized aqueous composition includes at least one hyaluronic acid or salt thereof and at least mepivacaine or salt thereof. The weight ratio between the concentration of hyaluronic acid [HA] and the concentration of mepivacaine [MEPI]—[HA]/[MEPI]—is no lower than 0.1. Mepivacaine may be used as a substitute for lidocaine in an equivalent amount in order to obtain a hyaluronic acid composition including a local anaesthetic with rheological properties after heat sterilization that are superior to the rheological properties of the same composition of hyaluronic acid except including lidocaine.