The Effectiveness of Preemptive Analgesic Techniques on Postoperative Analgesia In Patients Undergoing Open Septorhinoplasty

OBJECTIVES: A comparison was made of effects of preincisional intravenous (IV) dexketoprofen trometamol and acetaminophen on postoperative pain, analgesic requirement, hemodynamic parameters, postoperative tramadol consumption, and patient satisfaction in patients undergoing elective septorhinoplasty. METHODS: Sixty patients scheduled for elective septorhinoplasty under general anesthesia were divided into 3 groups. Groups were similar with respect to gender, mean age, body weight, mean duration of surgery and anesthesia (p>0.05). Group D (n=20) received 50 mg IV dexketoprofen trometamol, while Group A (n=20) received 1 gr IV acetaminophen before surgical incision. Group K (n=20) received no analgesic. Postoperative analgesia was maintained with IV tramadol infusion, with the aid of patient-controlled analgesia pump. Visual analogue scale (VAS), total tramadol consumption, and patient satisfaction were recorded at 15 and 30 minutes postoperatively, as well as 1, 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively. RESULTS: VAS values were highest in Group K and lowest in Group D (p<0.001). There was no difference in tramadol consumption between Group K and Group A, but both groups consumed higher doses of tramadol than Group D (p=0.649 and p<0.05, respectively). First analgesic requirement time and side effects were similar in all groups. CONCLUSION: It was observed that both preemptive IV dexketoprofen trometamol and acetaminophen were effective for postoperative analgesia in early postoperative period in elective septorhinoplasty under general anesthesia; however, preemptive dexketoprofen trometamol was more effective than acetaminophen for postoperative analgesia.