Abstract

Objectives: Despite increasing knowledge about pain, postoperative pain management is still a challenge. Opioids are widely used drugs in the treatment, but the side effects of the opioids lead to investigations about the novel pain management strategies. We aimed to compare the effects of preemptive intravenous lornoxicam and paracetamol on postoperative pain scores, opioid consumption, and patient satisfaction during laparoscopic cholecystectomy recovery. Materials and methods: Sixty patients scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgery were randomized into three treatment groups that received lornoxicam (8 mg), paracetamol (1000 mg), or normal saline (control) 30 minutes before surgery. Time to the first analgesic requirement, visual analog scale scores, tramadol consumption, side effects, and patient satisfaction were recorded. Results: Time to the first analgesic requirement and tramadol consumption were higher in the control group than in the paracetamol and lornoxicam groups (p < 0.001). Tramadol consumption of the lornoxicam group was higher than that of the paracetamol group at the 1-, 2-, and 8-hour measurements (p = 0.048, p = 0.047, p = 0.040, respectively). However, total tramadol consumption in lornoxicam and paracetamol groups was not statistically different at 24 hours. Conclusion: Preemptive intravenous lornoxicam and paracetamol equally reduce opioid consumption, compared to placebo, after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Both drugs may be viable alternatives for postoperative pain treatment to avoid opioid-related side effects.

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