Effectiveness of perioperative duloxetine for pain management in vNOTES hysterectomy: a randomized,...

This study aims to evaluate the impact of perioperative administration of duloxetine on postoperative pain management and recovery quality in women undergoing vNOTES total hysterectomy.

Conducted as a randomized controlled trial, the study involved 76 women divided into two groups-39 in the study group and 37 in the control group. Patients in the study group received 60 mg of oral duloxetine 2 h prior to surgery and again 24 h post-surgery, whereas those in the control group were given a placebo following the same schedule. While medical staff were aware of the treatment allocations, all patients remained blinded to the type of medication administered.

No differences were observed between the patients in terms of baseline demographics or perioperative characteristics. Eight hours after surgery, the study group demonstrated a significantly lower mean visual analog scale (VAS) pain score compared to the placebo group (4.4 ± 0.7 vs. 3.7 ± 1.0, P = 0.002). Additionally, the mean VAS scores at 4, 12, and 24 h post-surgery were also significantly lower in the study group. The mean scores on the faces pain scale-revised consistently showed reductions in the duloxetine group as well. A smaller proportion of patients in the duloxetine group required rescue analgesics (25.6 % versus 45.9 %, P = 0.033). Women treated with duloxetine attained significantly higher scores on the overall QoR-15 questionnaire (111.4 ± 5.0 vs. 104.8 ± 5.5, P < 0.001). No notable differences in adverse outcomes were observed between the duloxetine and placebo groups.

Administering duloxetine as premedication for patients undergoing V-notes hysterectomy is a safe and effective approach to minimizing postoperative pain, reducing the need for additional analgesics, and enhancing patient satisfaction. Therefore, this strategy can be incorporated into an enhanced recovery protocol.