Effect of dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant to ropivacaine for wound infiltration in patients undergoing open gastrectomy

OBJECTIVES The primary objective of this study was to investigate whether dexmedetomidine could potentiate the analgesic efficacy of ropivacaine, when added to ropivacaine for wound infiltration in patients undergoing open gastrectomy. METHODS Fifty patients scheduled for open gastrectomy were divided into 2 equal groups that were received wound infiltration using 20 mL 0.3% ropivacaine plus 2 mL normal saline (group R) or 20 mL 0.3% ropivacaine plus 2 mL 1.0 μg/kg dexmedetomidine (group DR). Visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score, patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump press number, sufentanil consumption, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and wound healing score were recorded. RESULTS The VAS pain score were comparable between the 2 groups at the observation time points (P > .05), PCA pump press number and sufentanil consumption were higher in group R than that in group DR at 0 to 2, 2 to 4, 4 to 6 time intervals (P .05), meanwhile, the 24 hours total sufentanil consumption was also higher in group R than that in group DR (90.4 ± 20.5 vs 79.2 ± 9.4) (P .05). CONCLUSIONS Dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant to ropivacaine for wound infiltration promoted the analgesic efficacy of ropivacaine, reduced sufentanil consumption, and had no effect on wound healing; it could be as an ideal adjuvant which could potentiate the analgesic efficacy of local anesthetics.