The Effect of Oxycodone on Post-operative Pain and Inflammatory Cytokine Release in Elderly Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Gastrectomy

Background: To evaluate the effect of oxycodone on post-operative pain and inflammation in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic gastrectomy. Methods: Sixty patients who were of both sexes, American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA-PS) Class I or II, over 65 years of age and undergoing an elective laparoscopic radical gastrectomy were randomly divided into two groups: an oxycodone group (Group O) including 20 males and 10 females and a sufentanil group (Group S) including 21 males and 9 females. The post-operative analgesia regimen was as follows: 40 mg of parecoxib sodium and 0.1 mg/kg of oxycodone was intravenously injected into Group O before the abdomen closure, while 40 mg of parecoxib sodium and 0.1 μg/kg of sufentanil was injected intravenously into Group S. Both groups were infiltrated with 20 ml of 1% ropivacaine at the end of the operation. The level of serum IL-6 and IL-10 were assayed immediately at the following timepoints: at the conclusion of surgery (T1), 1 h (T2), 6 h (T3), and 24 h (T4) after the completion of the surgery. The numerical rating scale (NRS), the Ramsay sedation score, analgesic-related adverse events, post-operative pulmonary inflammation events and the post-operative stay were recorded. Results: Compared with Group S, the serum IL-6 concentrations of Group O decreased at T(3) and T(4), while the serum IL-10 concentrations increased (P < 0.05). In Group O, the serum IL-6 concentrations at T(3) and T(4) were lower than those at T(1) (P < 0.05). The incidence of post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and pulmonary inflammation in Group O was lower than that in Group S (P < 0.05). At each time point, the NRS of visceral pain in Group O was lower than that in Group S. At 6 and 24 h after extubation, the NRS of incision pain in Group O was lower than that in Group S (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Oxycodone can regulate the level of inflammatory cytokines and reduce post-operative inflammatory response.