Different Doses of Nalbuphine Combined with Dexmedetomidine in Laparoscopic Oophorocystectomy

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to investigate different doses of nalbuphine combined with dexmedetomidine in the postoperative treatment of laparoscopic oophorocystectomy. MATERIAL/METHODS: This prospective single-blinded randomized controlled study included 219 patients with benign ovarian cysts who received laparoscopic oophorocystectomy from March 2017 to October 2019. Patients were randomized into 4 groups: low (0.5 mg/kg), middle (1.0 mg/kg), and high (1.5 mg/kg) doses of nalbuphine combined with dexmedetomidine (4 μg/kg) (LND, MND, and HND groups, respectively) and a control group with sufentanil (2.5 μg/kg), with different patient-controlled intravenous analgesia pump (PCIA) strategies. Rest and active visual analog scale (VAS) scores measured postoperative pain, and Ramsay scores were used to measure sedation. RESULTS: The HND group showed the lowest rest and cough VAS scores at 2 h, 8 h, 12 h, and 24 h after surgery, the lowest PCIA pressing time within 48 h after surgery, and the highest Ramsay scores at 2 h, 8 h, 24 h and 48 h after surgery. Rest and cough VAS scores decreased with higher nalbuphine doses in a dose-dependent manner. One day after surgery, IL-1β and IL-6 levels increased in all groups, with the lowest levels of IL-1β and IL-6 in the HND group. Hospitalization time was significantly shorter in the HND group compared with the LND and MND groups. There were no significant differences in complications among groups. CONCLUSIONS: Combined nalbuphine and dexmedetomidine improved postoperative pain and sedative conditions, reduced inflammation in a nalbuphine dose-dependent manner, and might facilitate patient recovery.