Intraoperative ketamine reduces immediate postoperative opioid consumption after spinal fusion surgery in chronic pain patients with opioid dependency: a randomized, blinded trial.

Perioperative handling of surgical patients with opioid dependency represents an important clinical problem. Animal studies suggest that ketamine attenuates central sensitization and hyperalgesia and thereby reduces postoperative opioid tolerance. We hypothesized that intraoperative ketamine would reduce immediate postoperative opioid consumption compared with placebo in chronic pain patients with opioid dependency undergoing lumbar spinal fusion surgery.

Preoperative dexamethasone reduces acute but not sustained pain after lumbar disk surgery: a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial.

Glucocorticoids have attracted increasing attention as adjuvants in the treatment of acute postoperative pain. Furthermore, anecdotal reports may support glucocorticoids for preventing sustained postoperative pain. We explored preoperative dexamethasone combined with paracetamol and ibuprofen on acute and sustained pain after lumbar disk surgery.

One-week postoperative patency of lower extremity in situ bypass graft comparing epidural and general anesthesia: retrospective study of 822 patients.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether anesthesia affects graft patency after lower extremity arterial in situ bypass surgery.

Methods: This investigation was a retrospective study using a national database on vascular surgical patients at a single medical institution. We assessed a total of 822 patients exposed to infrainguinal in situ bypass vascular surgery over the period of January 2000 to September 2010.