A controlled, randomized, double-blind study of ketorolac for postoperative analgesia after plastic surgery

The present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ketorolac compared with metamizol (Nolotil) in the control of pain after plastic surgery. Almost no literature exists on postoperative pain control in this specialty. A multiple-dose, randomized, double-blind study of parallel design was carried out. One hundred patients received either ketorolac 30 mg intramuscularly (IM) every 8 hours or metamizol 2 g IM every 8 hours for postoperative analgesia during the first 48 postoperative hours. Pain severity was assessed using a visual analog scale. Adverse events were recorded. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of pain scores or frequency of adverse events throughout the study. Two postoperative hemorrhages were recorded in the ketorolac group. Ketorolac and metamizol were found to be equally safe and effective in reducing postoperative pain after plastic surgery. It should be noted that 52% of patients in the ketorolac group and 48% in the metamizol group considered their postoperative analgesia to be very good. Nevertheless, for surgical procedures or for patients in whom postoperative hematoma formation is a particular concern, ketorolac probably should not be used.