The effect of pre-operative administration of gabapentin on post-operative pain relief after herniorrhaphy.

Background: Gabapentin, an anticonvulsant, recently has been suggested as an effective post-operative "analgesic" agent. The objective of the present study was to examine the analgesic effectiveness and opioid-sparing effects associated with the use of a single dose of gabapentin as a prophylactic analgesic.

Materials And Methods: In a randomized double-blinded clinical trial, 50 American Society of Anesthesiologists I and II patients with an age range of 40-60 years who were the candidate for inguinal herniorrhaphy under spinal anesthesia were randomly assigned to receive 400 mg gabapentin or placebo 2 h prior to surgery.