TABLE 1.
Characteristics of the studies included in the present meta-analysis
| Study | Procedure | n | Treatment arm | Control arm | Anesthesia | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gynecological procedures | ||||||
| Dierking et al (34) | Abdominal hysterectomy | 80 | Gabapentin 1200 mg 1 h before surgery, and 600 mg 8 h,16 h and 24 h after initial dose | Placebo | General | 24 h |
| Gilron et al (35) | Abdominal hysterectomy | 52 | Gabapentin 1800 mg daily starting 1 h before surgery to postoperative day 2 | Placebo | General | 56 h |
| Rorarius et al (29) | Vaginal hysterectomy | 90 | Gabapentin 1200 mg 150 min before surgery | Oxazepam 15 mg | General | 20 h |
| Turan et al (31) | Abdominal hysterectomy | 50 | Gabapentin 1200 mg 1 h before surgery | Placebo | General | 24 h |
| Turan et al (41)* | Abdominal hysterectomy | 50 | Gabapentin 1200 mg daily starting 1 h before surgery to postoperative day 2 | Placebo | General | 72 h |
| Yoon et al (26) | Abdominal hysterectomy | 32 | Gabapentin 800 mg before surgery (400 mg the night before surgery and 400 mg 30 min before surgery) | Placebo | General | 24 h |
| Orthopedic procedures | ||||||
| Menigaux et al (38) | Knee surgery | 40 | Gabapentin 1200 mg 2 h before surgery | Placebo | General | 48 h |
| Pandey et al (28) | Spine surgery | 56 | Gabapentin 300 mg 2 h before surgery | Placebo | General | 24 h |
| Pandey et al (39) | Spine surgery | 100 | Any of four doses of gabapentin (300 mg, 600 mg, 900 mg or 1200 mg) 1 h before surgery | Placebo | General | 24 h |
| Radhakrishnan et al (37) | Spine surgery | 60 | Gabapentin 800 mg before surgery (400 mg the night before surgery and 400 mg 2 h before surgery) | Placebo | General | 8 h |
| Tuncer et al (40) | Major orthopedic surgery | 45 | Any of two doses of gabapentin (800 mg or 1200 mg) 1 h before surgery | Placebo | General | 4 h |
| Turan et al (32) | Spine surgery | 50 | Gabapentin 1200 mg 1 h before surgery | Placebo | General | 24 h |
| Turan et al (42) | Lower limb surgery | 40 | Gabapentin 1200 mg daily starting 1 h before surgery to postoperative day 2 | Placebo | General and epidural | 72 h |
| Other procedures | ||||||
| Dirks et al (25) | Breast surgery | 70 | Gabapentin 1200 mg 1 h before surgery | Placebo | General | 4 h |
| Fassoulaki et al (24)† | Breast surgery | 50 | Gabapentin 1200 mg daily starting evening before surgery to postoperative day 10 | Placebo | General | 48 h |
| Pandey et al (33) | Laparoscopic cholecystectomy | 206 | Gabapentin 300 mg 1 h to 2 h before surgery | Placebo | General | 24 h |
| Pandey et al (36) | Open nephrectomy | 60 | Gabapentin 600 mg either 2 h before surgery or following surgical incision. | |||
| Turan et al (30) | Ear-nose-throat surgery | 50 | Gabapentin 1200 mg 1 h before surgery | Placebo | Sedation | 24 h |
*
Additional two arms that assessed celecoxib (alone and in conjunction with gabapentin) were excluded;
†
Additional arm that assessed mexilitene was excluded