Korean J Anesthesiol.  2003 Jul;45(1):62-65. 10.4097/kjae.2003.45.1.62.

The Analgesic Effects of Epidural Dexamethasone after Simple Lumbar Discectomy

• Ahn YC
• Lim KJ
• Yu BS
• Chung CD

• KMID: 2236740
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2003.45.1.62

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Epidural steroids have been suggested to prevent postoperative epidural fibrosis after lumbar laminectomy. The purpose of this prospective study was to compare the degree of postoperative pain in patients undergoing simple lumbar discectomy with and without epidural dexamethasone administration.
METHODS
Thirty-six patients undergoing simple lumbar discectomy were randomly allocated to two groups to be given the following agents, just after the end of surgery via an epidural lumbar catheter previously inserted by the surgeon: normal saline 6 ml (group I), and a total of 6 ml normal saline with dexamethasone 5 mg (group II). The outcome measures included pain scores at 1, 2, 6, 12, and 24h and total morphine consumption over the first 24 postoperative hours.
RESULTS
There were significant differences in the postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) score at 1 and 2 h between the two Groups, and the 24h total morphine consumption in Group II was significantly lower than in Group I.
CONCLUSIONS
Epidural administration of dexamethasone decreased the degree of postoperative pain after simple lumbar discectomy.

Keyword

dexamethasone; epidural; morphine; simple lumbar discectomy

MeSH Terms

Catheters
Dexamethasone*
Diskectomy*
Fibrosis
Humans
Laminectomy
Morphine
Outcome Assessment (Health Care)
Pain, Postoperative
Prospective Studies
Steroids
Dexamethasone
Morphine
Steroids