Skip to content

Study of the Effect of the Drug Gabapentin on Postoperative Pain and Incidence of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting

The Effect of Gabapentin on Acute Pain and PONV in Bariatric Surgical Patients

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT00886236
Enrollment
62
Registered
2009-04-22
Start date
2008-02-29
Completion date
2011-01-31
Last updated
2018-09-20

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Obesity, Morbid, Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting, Postoperative Pain

Keywords

Gastric Bypass, Gabapentin, Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting, Analgesics, Opioids, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive, Respiratory Depression, Oximetry

Brief summary

The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the drug gabapentin (Neurontin®) for its ability to reduce postoperative pain, the need for morphine-like pain medication, and the severity and frequency of postoperative nausea and vomiting in laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery patients.

Detailed description

The occurrence of morbid obesity is at epidemic proportions in the United States. Laparoscopic gastric bypass is an effective means of safely facilitating patient weight loss and thereby drastically reducing the prevalence and severity of many future health complications \[1\]. However, managing morbidly obese surgical patients poses certain obstacles for anesthesiologists, including a high incidence of obstructive sleep apnea \[2\]. Laparoscopic gastric bypass, like all surgical interventions, has associated postoperative challenges including pain management and prevention/control of postoperative nausea and vomiting. To assure the highest patient satisfaction, all areas of patient comfort must be addressed. However, with pain management in morbidly obese patients, caution must be used when administering opioids, as they can have an increasing effect of respiratory depression in patients already at risk due to obstructive sleep apnea \[3\]. Gastric bypass is also associated with a significant incidence of protracted postoperative nausea and vomiting \[4\]. Therefore, regimens that address both patient safety and patient comfort are desired. Gabapentin (Neurontin) is an alkylated analog of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) that has been FDA approved for the treatment of seizures, headaches fibromyalgia and chronic neuropathic pain due to various etiologies \[5\]. Many randomized controlled trials have been performed with perioperative gabapentin \[6-10\]. The effect of perioperative administration of gabapentin on postoperative pain and opioid consumption has been extensively studied and several meta-analyses have been published in the last several years examining to overall findings of these studies. The general consensus is that gabapentin has anti-hyperalgesic and opioid-sparing properties and may also reduce the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting \[5, 11-15\]. Most research has shown that gabapentin is beneficial in the treatment of postoperative pain, but some show neither positive nor negative effects. There has been no evidence that gabapentin is detrimental or poses any risks to the postoperative patient. However, gabapentin has not been specifically studied in bariatric surgery. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the hypothesis that perioperative gabapentin has anti-hyperalgesic and opioid-sparing properties, thus increase patient comfort and satisfaction by decreasing pain scores and reducing the adverse effects of opioids, such as postoperative nausea and vomiting. This is a randomized, double-blind and placebo controlled study, which will be performed in adult laparoscopic gastric bypass patients coming to surgery for morbid obesity. The major end-points of analyses are intraoperative and postoperative opioid requirements and the incidence of nausea and vomiting in the postoperative period.

Interventions

DRUGGabapentin

Gabapentin 1200 mg (24 cc) by mouth 1 hour prior to surgery AND Gabapentin 300 mg (6cc) by mouth x 6 doses after surgery (0800PM the evening of surgery, 0800AM postoperative day 1, 0200PM postoperative day 1, 0800PM postoperative day 1, 0800AM postoperative day 2, 1200PM postoperative day 2)

DRUGPlacebo

Placebo 1200 mg (24 cc) by mouth 1 hour prior to surgery AND Placebo 300 mg (6cc) by mouth x 6 doses after surgery (0800PM the evening of surgery, 0800AM postoperative day 1, 0200PM postoperative day 1, 0800PM postoperative day 1, 0800AM postoperative day 2, 1200PM postoperative day 2)

Sponsors

Medical University of South Carolina
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Patients undergoing laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery * Age \> 18 years

Exclusion criteria

* Patients under the age of 18 years * Patients who undergo open gastric bypass * Patients with a history of chronic pain treated with pregabalin, gabapentin or opioids * Patients with a history of chronic renal disease (creatinine \> 1.3) * Patients with a history of bleeding gastric ulcer

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Evaluate the Amount of Diluadid Given Postoperatively120 hoursThe amount of intraoperative and postoperative opioids used will be collected and analyzed for the three different arms.
Number of Participants Who Experience Incidence of Postoperative Nausea.120 hours

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Evaluate Incidence of Respiratory Depression as Evidenced by Pulse Oximetry Data48 hours

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
1 Preoperative Gabapentin Liquid
Preoperative Gabapentin Elixir (1200 mg) AND Postoperative Placebo Elixir (300 mg x 6 doses) Gabapentin: Gabapentin 1200 mg (24 cc) by mouth 1 hour prior to surgery AND Placebo 300 mg (6cc) by mouth x 6 doses after surgery (0800PM the evening of surgery, 0800AM postoperative day 1, 0200PM postoperative day 1, 0800PM postoperative day 1, 0800AM postoperative day 2, 1200PM postoperative day 2)
20
2 Preoperative and Postoperative Gabapentin Liquid
Preoperative Gabapentin Elixir (1200 mg) AND Postoperative Gabapentin Elixir (300 mg x 6 doses) Gabapentin: Gabapentin 1200 mg (24 cc) by mouth 1 hour prior to surgery AND Gabapentin 300 mg (6cc) by mouth x 6 doses after surgery (0800PM the evening of surgery, 0800AM postoperative day 1, 0200PM postoperative day 1, 0800PM postoperative day 1, 0800AM postoperative day 2, 1200PM postoperative day 2)
21
3 Preoperative and Postoperative Placebo Liquid
Preoperative Placebo Liquid (1200 mg) AND Postoperative Placebo Elixir (300 mg x 6 doses) Placebo: Placebo 1200 mg (24 cc) by mouth 1 hour prior to surgery AND Placebo 300 mg (6cc) by mouth x 6 doses after surgery (0800PM the evening of surgery, 0800AM postoperative day 1, 0200PM postoperative day 1, 0800PM postoperative day 1, 0800AM postoperative day 2, 1200PM postoperative day 2)
21
Total62

Baseline characteristics

Characteristic2 Preoperative and Postoperative Gabapentin Liquid3 Preoperative and Postoperative Placebo Liquid1 Preoperative Gabapentin LiquidTotal
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
1 Participants2 Participants0 Participants3 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
20 Participants19 Participants20 Participants59 Participants
Age, Continuous47 years46 years47 years47 years
Region of Enrollment
United States
21 participants21 participants20 participants62 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
16 Participants18 Participants17 Participants51 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
5 Participants3 Participants3 Participants11 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
EG002
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 200 / 210 / 21
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 200 / 210 / 21
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 200 / 210 / 21

Outcome results

Primary

Evaluate the Amount of Diluadid Given Postoperatively

The amount of intraoperative and postoperative opioids used will be collected and analyzed for the three different arms.

Time frame: 120 hours

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)
1 Preoperative Gabapentin LiquidEvaluate the Amount of Diluadid Given Postoperatively11.035 ml
2 Preoperative and Postoperative Gabapentin LiquidEvaluate the Amount of Diluadid Given Postoperatively8.7 ml
3 Preoperative and Postoperative Placebo LiquidEvaluate the Amount of Diluadid Given Postoperatively12.4 ml
Primary

Number of Participants Who Experience Incidence of Postoperative Nausea.

Time frame: 120 hours

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
1 Preoperative Gabapentin LiquidNumber of Participants Who Experience Incidence of Postoperative Nausea.12 Participants
2 Preoperative and Postoperative Gabapentin LiquidNumber of Participants Who Experience Incidence of Postoperative Nausea.11 Participants
3 Preoperative and Postoperative Placebo LiquidNumber of Participants Who Experience Incidence of Postoperative Nausea.12 Participants
Secondary

Evaluate Incidence of Respiratory Depression as Evidenced by Pulse Oximetry Data

Time frame: 48 hours

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)
1 Preoperative Gabapentin LiquidEvaluate Incidence of Respiratory Depression as Evidenced by Pulse Oximetry Data93 % oxygen saturation
2 Preoperative and Postoperative Gabapentin LiquidEvaluate Incidence of Respiratory Depression as Evidenced by Pulse Oximetry Data94 % oxygen saturation
3 Preoperative and Postoperative Placebo LiquidEvaluate Incidence of Respiratory Depression as Evidenced by Pulse Oximetry Data95 % oxygen saturation

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026