Objective: Dexmedetomidine (DEX) can strengthen the analgesic effects of local anesthetics (LAs) when used as an adjuvant through intrathecal, perineural, and intraperitoneal routes. Many studies have used intraperitoneal instillation of DEX with LAs in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) to relieve postoperative pain. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize evidence of the efficacy and safety of intraperitoneal instillation of DEX as an adjuvant of LAs in patients undergoing LC.
Methods: A comprehensive literature search of the MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases was performed to identify randomized controlled trials in which patients received intraperitoneal instillation of DEX combined with LAs during LC. A meta-analysis and sensitivity analysis of the results were conducted. We also performed a subgroup analysis to investigate the source of heterogeneity. The Egger test was used to check for publication bias.
Results: Eleven randomized controlled trials involving 890 patients were analyzed. We found that the addition of DEX to LAs significantly decreased pain scores at six postoperative time points (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 12, and 24 h) and significantly prolonged the time to the first analgesic request by patients. In addition, 24-hour postoperative analgesic consumption was decreased in the experimental group, and no significant difference in the incidence of nausea and vomiting was observed.
Conclusion: Our findings indicate that intraperitoneal instillation of DEX with LAs can reduce postoperative pain and prolong the time to first request analgesia after LC.
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