Postoperative analgesic efficacy of preemptive and postoperative lornoxicam in femoropopliteal bypass surgery.

Objectives: In this study, we analyzed the effect of the application time of intravenous (IV) lornoxicam in preventing postoperative pain.

Methods: This placebo-controlled study was conducted on 72 patients undergoing elective femoropopliteal bypass surgery. The patients were randomly divided into three groups. Group I (n=25) was administered IV 8 mg lornoxicam 20 minutes before incision and IV 2 mL saline at the end of the surgery; Group II (n=24) was administered IV 2 mL saline 20 minutes before incision and IV 8 mg lornoxicam at the end of the surgery; Group III (n=23) was administered IV 2 mL saline 20 minutes before incision and IV 2 mL saline at the end of the surgery. All patients used IV morphine via a patient-controlled analgesia device. Postoperative pain was measured using the visual analog scale (VAS), and patients with a VAS score >3 were administered intramuscular 75 mg naproxen sodium.

Results: The VAS scores were significantly higher in Group III compared with Group I at the 0th, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd hours and with Group II at the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd hours (p<0.05). As far as 24-hour morphine and naproxen sodium consumption were concerned, there was a significant statistical difference between the three groups (p<0.05); comparing Group I and II, there was no difference (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Regardless of the time it is applied, lornoxicam reduces postoperative pain and consumption of opioids within the initial 3 hours.