Surg Today DOI 10.1007/s00595-014-1088-9
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Pregabalin reduces post‑surgical pain after thoracotomy: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial Noriyuki Matsutani · Hitoshi Dejima · Yusuke Takahashi · Masafumi Kawamura
Received: 29 August 2014 / Accepted: 7 November 2014 © Springer Japan 2014
Abstract Purpose A new perioperative management method was explored by assessing the safety and the efficacy of pregabalin for the treatment of intercostal neuralgia after thoracotomy. Methods The study was conducted on 68 adult patients scheduled to undergo thoracotomy. Patients were randomly divided into two groups; a NSAIDs group, where 34 patients were orally administered loxoprofen three times daily and a pregabalin group, where 34 patients were orally administered 75 mg of pregabalin twice daily, starting on the day of surgery and continuing for 2 weeks. The pain scores, sleep interference and the incidence of neuropathic pain were evaluated on days 1, 3 and 7, and at weeks 4, 8 and 12 after surgery. The frequency of pain medication use in the first week after surgery and the adverse effects in each group were also examined. Results The pain scores, sleep interference and incidence of neuropathic pain were significantly lower (p 30 ml/min, and undergoing thoracotomy under general anesthesia. Patients with a history of intake of antidepressants, anticonvulsants, opioids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) before surgery, or with serious medical conditions (uncontrolled heart, lung, liver or kidney disease or diabetes), or a history of angioedema were excluded from the study. Patients were randomly assigned to a treatment group (pregabalin group) or a control group (NSAID group) using a computer-generated randomization sequence (Nippon RAD Inc. Tokyo, Japan). Patients in the treatment group received 75 mg pregabalin orally, 2 h before surgery, and 75 mg twice daily from the day after surgery. For patients with a creatinine clearance
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Pregabalin reduces post‑surgical pain after thoracotomy: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial Noriyuki Matsutani · Hitoshi Dejima · Yusuke Takahashi · Masafumi Kawamura
Received: 29 August 2014 / Accepted: 7 November 2014 © Springer Japan 2014
Abstract Purpose A new perioperative management method was explored by assessing the safety and the efficacy of pregabalin for the treatment of intercostal neuralgia after thoracotomy. Methods The study was conducted on 68 adult patients scheduled to undergo thoracotomy. Patients were randomly divided into two groups; a NSAIDs group, where 34 patients were orally administered loxoprofen three times daily and a pregabalin group, where 34 patients were orally administered 75 mg of pregabalin twice daily, starting on the day of surgery and continuing for 2 weeks. The pain scores, sleep interference and the incidence of neuropathic pain were evaluated on days 1, 3 and 7, and at weeks 4, 8 and 12 after surgery. The frequency of pain medication use in the first week after surgery and the adverse effects in each group were also examined. Results The pain scores, sleep interference and incidence of neuropathic pain were significantly lower (p 30 ml/min, and undergoing thoracotomy under general anesthesia. Patients with a history of intake of antidepressants, anticonvulsants, opioids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) before surgery, or with serious medical conditions (uncontrolled heart, lung, liver or kidney disease or diabetes), or a history of angioedema were excluded from the study. Patients were randomly assigned to a treatment group (pregabalin group) or a control group (NSAID group) using a computer-generated randomization sequence (Nippon RAD Inc. Tokyo, Japan). Patients in the treatment group received 75 mg pregabalin orally, 2 h before surgery, and 75 mg twice daily from the day after surgery. For patients with a creatinine clearance
