Pregabalin is an antiepileptic drug that is effective for treating postoperative pain, neuropathic pain, anxiety, and hemodynamic instability. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a single preoperative dose of pregabalin in patients with opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH).

Ninety ASA I-II patients undergoing laparoendoscopic single-site urologic surgery were randomly assigned to one of the following three groups that received either pregabalin or placebo 1 h before anesthesia and an intraoperative remifentanil infusion. Group plL received placebo and 0.05 µg/kg/min remifentanil, group plH received placebo and 0.3 µg/kg/min remifentanil, and group prH received 300 mg pregabalin plus 0.3 µg/kg/min remifentanil. The primary endpoint was pain intensity upon movement 1, 6, 12, and 24 h after surgery. Secondary endpoints were the area of hyperalgesia and mechanical hyperalgesia threshold 24 h after surgery, time to first postoperative analgesic requirement, and cumulative postoperative volume of morphine administered via a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump over 24 h.

The time to first postoperative analgesic requirement in group plH was significantly shorter than that in group plL. The injected PCA volume was significantly greater in group plH than that in the other two groups. Postoperative pain intensity in group plH was significantly greater than that in the other two groups at 6, 12, and 24 h after surgery. The mechanical hyperalgesia threshold and the area of hyperalgesia around the surgical incision 24 h after surgery in group plH differed significantly from those in the other two groups, which were not significantly different. Adverse effects were comparable among groups.

High-dose remifentanil induced hyperalgesia, including increased pain intensity, increased area of hyperalgesia, and decreased mechanical hyperalgesia threshold. These effects were attenuated by oral administration of a single preoperative dose of pregabalin (300 mg) in patients undergoing laparo-endoscopic single-site urologic surgery.