Tehran University Medical Journal

Background: Pain control after orthognathic surgeries due to severity of pain and limitations of opioids use in these patients are particular importance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of oral gabapentin and intramuscular ketorolac in combination with intravenous acetaminophen for pain control after this surgery.

Methods: This study was a randomized clinical trial (RCT) on 75 patients (18-60 years old American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification system, I, II) that undergo orthognathic surgery in Sina University Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran from June 2013 to August 2014. The patients were randomly divided in 3 groups. All of groups received 1 gr (intravenous acetaminophen) 30 minutes before the end of surgery. The control group (n= 25) received placebo. The second group (n= 25) received 30 mg ketorolac intramuscular after induction of anesthesia and the third group (n= 25) received 600 mg Gabapentin orally 30 minute before the induction of anesthesia. The pain severity score assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS), the level of sedation assessed by Ramsey scale, opioid requirement, nausea and vomiting was recorded in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours after surgery. For rescue pain management intravenous morphine was administered.

Results: Seventy-five patients were enrolled in this study. Use of Ketorolac and gabapentin declines the pain intensity, level of agitation and morphine requirement in the recovery room and early hours in the ward (P= 0.011). The 24-hour opioid consumption, nausea and vomiting was significantly higher in control group compared with the both intervention groups (15±1.4 vs. 5±0.5 mg) (P< 0.05) retrospectively. Mean arterial pressure and heart rate changes was significantly lower in ketorolac and gabapentin groups compare to control group in recovery room (P< 0.05).

Conclusion: The result of this study suggest that ketorolac as well as gabapentin can decline the pain intensity and opioid requirement with less nausea and vomiting and good hemodynamic control after orthognathic surgery.