Effectiveness of gabapentin for pain management after surgery of the upper abdomen

Abstract

Introduction: Post-operative pain in upper thorax and hemiabdomen surgery has a solid neuropathic component; it is therefore associated with evolution towards chronic pain. On this basis, anticonvulsants are applied as part of the multimodal treatment.
Objectives: To evaluate analgesic effectiveness and safety of gabapentin for management of pain after thorax and upper abdomen surgery.
Method: A quasiexperimental, comparative and prospective study was conducted with the patients announced for surgery of the upper abdomen and thorax, in the period from 2015 to 2017. Thirty patients divided into 2 groups were included. The Group G (n=14) received treatment with gabapentin 100 mg orally the day before the intervention and every 12 h in the postoperative period until 24 h. The Group C (n=16) received the conventional analgesia prescribed for this type of intervention.
Results: The sample was homogeneous regarding age and sex. Pain intensity levels were lower in the gabapentin group and this difference becomes more significant 24 hours after surgery. This corresponds to a lower need for rescue analgesia (71% vs. 100%). Associated complications were more frequent in the study group at the expense of nausea, although there were no significant differences.
Conclusions: The use of gabapentin in the perioperative period guarantees better pain control with few complications.