Effect of different doses of remifentanil on stress response during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Objectives: An adequate perioperative analgesia reduces neuroendocrine stress response and postoperative complications. Opioids are the most effective parenteral drugs to control pain and stress response. Design: This is a prospective randomized double-blinded controlled study. Setting: Institutional tertiary level. Patients, participants: Fifty patients underwent general anesthesia with desflurane for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Main outcome measures: To compare two different doses of remifentanil (0.15 mcg/kg/min or 0.3 mcg/kg/min) in reducing markers of stress. Perioperative stress was assessed through the dosage of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, growth hormone (GH), and prolactin (PRL). Three venous blood samples were collected from patients: before transferring the patient to the operating room (Time 0), at the trocar insertion (Time 1), and 1 hour after the end of the surgery (Time 2). Results: Hemodynamic parameters showed no differences between the two groups. The authors observed an increase of GH and PRL in both groups at trocar insertion (Time 1) (p = 0.473 and 0.754, respectively). ACTH and cortisol showed a decrease at Time 1 and an increase after surgery (p = 0.586). The modification of stress parameters levels showed no significant differences between the two groups. Conclusions: The results of our study showed that a lower dose of remifentanil is equally effective in controlling stress hormones during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.