Intravenous infusion of lidocaine as a component of opioid-free anesthesia in thoracic surgery: prospective randomized single-center observational study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The possibility of reducing doses of narcotic analgesics during the perioperative period is widely discussed in modern scientific literature. This direction is called opioid-free anesthesia and is used in abdominal surgery, oncology, gynecology, and other areas. Publications on the use of opioid-free anesthesia in thoracic surgery are scarce.
 OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the analgesic effectiveness of intravenous lidocaine infusion as a component of anesthesia in thoracic surgery.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety patients who underwent open lobectomy or pneumonectomy were examined. Depending on the analgesic component, patients were divided into three groups: group 1 (n=30) received intravenous infusion of lidocaine, group 2 (n=30) received epidural block, and group 3 (n=30) had fentanyl infusion. Blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol, and blood serum glycemia levels were measured. The intensity of postoperative pain syndrome and the need for promedol, tramadol, and sanitation fibrobronchoscopy were assessed. Arterial hypotension and frequency of postoperative nausea and vomiting were recorded. The length of stay of the patients in the intensive care unit and hospital was recorded.
 RESULTS: Cortisol levels did not differ between groups (p=0.26). The glucose level in the epidural block group was significantly lower than that in other groups (p=0.011). A significant increase in mean blood pressure and heart rate was observed in the opioid analgesia group (p 0.001). The lowest severity of pain 6 h after surgery was observed in the epidural blockade and lidocaine groups (p 0.001). Perioperative hypotension was more common in the epidural analgesia group (p=0.045). The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was higher in the opioid anesthesia group (p=0.004). In the fentanyl infusion group, sanitary fibrobronchoscopy was more often required to eliminate atelectasis (p=0.039). The number of bed days spent in the ICU was significantly higher in the opioid analgesic group (p=0.002); however, no significant differences were noted between the groups regarding the number of days spent in the hospital (p=0.228).
 CONCLUSION: Opioid-free anesthesia based on intravenous lidocaine infusion, as a component of anesthetic management in thoracic surgery, provides sufficient perioperative stability of hemodynamic and neuroendocrine status, has a pronounced analgesic effect, with less opioid consumption on the first day after surgery, and helps reduce the length of stay in the intensive care unit and hospital.