The postoperative analgesic effects of low-dose gabapentin in patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy

Objective. Clinical studies have suggested that gabapentin may produce analgesia in postoperative patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the analgesic effects of low-dose gabapentin administered during the first 24 hours after abdominal hysterectomy. Methods. A prospective, double-blind, randomised study was conducted on 98 patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy. The patients were divided into two groups: 49 patients received oral gabapentin 400 mg 1 hour before surgery, followed by a further 100 mg 8, 16 and 24 hours after the initial dose, and 49 received placebo. Morphine (5 mg) was used for rescue analgesia. Pain intensity was self-evaluated using a 100 mm visual analogue scale. Data were analysed using SPSS software version 15.0, and the level of significance was set at p<0.05. Results. Compared with the placebo group, patients who received gabapentin perceived a significant reduction in postoperative pain in the first hours after hysterectomy (2 hours: 38.9 +/- 18.1 v. 74.9 +/- 15.2, p<0.05; 6 hours: 37.9 +/- 20.8 76.6 +/- 22.4, p<0.05; 12 hours: 35.8 +/- 24.4 v. 79.7 +/- 25.7, p<0.05; 18 hours: 36.3 +/- 19.1 v. 71.7 +/- 20.7, p<0.05; 24 hours: 40.1 +/- 14.5 v. 52.7 +/- 21.1, p<0.05). Opioid requirements 2 hours after surgery were also significantly lower in the gabapentin group than in the placebo group (21 v. 40 patients, p<0.05). No side-effects were reported in either group. Conclusions. Low-dose gabapentin can reduce opioid requirements after abdominal hysterectomy, and increase patient comfort postoperatively.