The Effect of Gabapentin on Postoperative Pain, Morphine Sparing Effect and Preoperative Anxiety in Patients Going for Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgical Procedure

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of preoperative administration of gabapentin in reduction of acute postoperative pain, morphine consumption and preoperative anxiety and sedation in obese patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. STUDY DESIGN: Double-blinded randomised control trial. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 2014 to January 2017. METHODOLOGY: Fifty patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy were enrolled in the study. The subjects received either 1200 mg gabapentin or placebo 2 hours before surgery. The amount of morphine consumption and postoperative pain at 4, 8,12,16, 20 and 24 hours of surgery were measured. Preoperative anxiety and sedation were recorded at 2 hours interval after the drug administration. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in patient characteristics in both groups. 24 hours PCA morphine consumption was significantly lower in gabapentin group than in the placebo group, 15.08±4.55 vs. 27.80±2.51 (p=0.001). Preoperative VAS anxiety, pre- verses post-drug, was significantly lower in gabapentin group 5.80±1.11 vs. 3.52±1.00 (p=0.001) than in placebo group 6.08 1.28 vs. 6.28 1.24 (p=0.635). Preoperative sedation score was not different in both groups. CONCLUSION: Preoperative oral gabapentin was effective in reducing the postoperative pain, morphine consumption and preoperative anxiety in morbid obese patients undergone laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.