Esketamine improves pain management following thoracic surgery

A recent study published in the Pain Physician Journal found that intraoperative intravenous esketamine not just reduces postoperative opioid consumption in patients undergoing thoracic surgery, but also improves the quality of perioperative recovery.

Postoperative pain management is essential for patients undergoing thoracic surgery, and opioids are a cornerstone in managing postoperative pain. However, their use may be limited by many adverse events. Recent studies have shown that the perioperative application of esketamine adjuvant therapy can reduce postoperative opioid consumption. This study by Jingjing Yuan and peers explored the opioid-sparing effect of different doses of esketamine infusion during thoracic surgery and its impact on patient recovery.

The study design was a randomized controlled study conducted in a single center with a total of 120 patients. Patients were randomly allocated to three groups: group K1 received intraoperative intravenous infusions of esketamine at 0.15 mg/kg/h, group K2 received esketamine at 0.25 mg/kg/h, and group C received a placebo. The postoperative opioid consumption and postoperative recovery indicators were recorded for each group.