The Effects of Pregabalin on Acute and Chronic Postoperative Pain After Cardiac Surgery

Pregabalin was introduced as an antiepileptic drug with analgesic anti-hyperalgesic and anxiolytic properties and was also used to treat neuropathic pain. In recent years it has been used as part of a multimodal management of acute postoperative pain after various types of surgery. We study the effect of pregabalin administered before cardiac surgery on acute and chronic postoperative pain. Post CABG syndrome is well known since 1980 and various analgesic methods have been used from time to time (opioids, regional analgesia, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). In our research patients will be divided into three groups. The control group will receive a placebo capsule before surgery. The second group will receive 75mg of pregabalin per os before surgery while the third will receive 150mg of pregabalin. After the surgery all patients will be connected to an intravenous PCA morphine pump for 48 hours. The postoperative pain will be assessed with the Visual Analogue Scale (0-10) every day. Total morphine consumption by the patients as well as any other pain medications administered supplementary will be registered and compared between the different groups. Remaining postoperative pain will be assessed after 3 months. The results will be statistically analyzed in order to determine whether there is significant difference in pain management between the groups.