The effect of pre-operative administration of gabapentin on post-operative pain relief after herniorrhaphy

Gabapentin, an anticonvulsant, recently has been suggested as an effective
post-operative “analgesic” agent. The objective of the present study was to examine the
analgesic effectiveness and opioid-sparing effects associated with the use of a single
dose of gabapentin as a prophylactic analgesic. Materials and Methods: In a randomized
double-blinded clinical trial, 50 American Society of Anesthesiologists I and II patients
with an age range of 40-60 years who were the candidate for inguinal herniorrhaphy
under spinal anesthesia were randomly assigned to receive 400 mg gabapentin or
placebo 2 h prior to surgery. Post-operatively, the pain was assessed on a visual analog
scale (VAS) at 2, 4, 12 and 24 h at rest. Morphine 0.05 mg/kg intravenously was used
to treat post-operative pain on patient’s demand. Total morphine consumption in the
fi rst 24 h after surgery was also recorded. Results: Patients in the gabapentin group had
signifi cantly lower VAS scores at the all-time intervals of study than those in the placebo
group (P < 0.05). The total morphine consumption in the fi rst 24 h after surgery was
also signifi cantly lower in gabapentin group than in the placebo group (0.9 ± 1.23 vs.
1.8 ± 1.5; P = 0.003). There was no signifi cant difference between the fi rst time
of analgesic request among the two groups. Conclusion: In conclusion, prophylactic
administration of gabapentin decreases pain scores and analgesic consumption in the
fi rst 24 h after repair of inguinal hernia.