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Scores of studies have been performed to examine whether short-course gabapentin and pregabalin mitigate pain after various surgical procedures; results have been inconsistent. In this double-blind trial, researchers in California randomized 410 adults who were undergoing various major surgical procedures to receive either gabapentin (600 mg thrice daily) or placebo for 72 hours postoperatively. The study's objective was not to examine immediate postoperative pain relief but rather times to total pain resolution and opioid cessation.
Median time to pain resolution (i.e., no pain at surgical site for 5 consecutive days) was 84 days in the gabapentin group and 73 days in the placebo group — a nonsignificant difference. Median time to opioid ce…