A Single Preoperative Administration of Dexamethasone, Low-dose Pregabalin, or a Combination of the 2, in Spinal Surgery, Does Not Provide a Better Analgesia Than a Multimodal Analgesic Protocol Alone.

Objectives: A single perioperative dose of glucocorticoid or gabapentinoid, or a combination of the 2, may improve postoperative analgesia, but data are still insufficient to be conclusive. In this single-center, randomized, double-blind, and double-dummy trial, we aimed to test whether the analgesic effect of adding preoperative pregabalin, at a dose unlikely to induce side effects, to preoperative dexamethasone improves early mobilization after spinal surgery.

Materials And Methods: A total of 160 patients undergoing scheduled lumbar disk surgery (145 analyzed) comprised the study cohort.