Perioperative Gabapentinoids

Abstract

Prescription of gabapentin and pregabalin in the perioperative period has become increasingly common, if not de rigueur. These gabapentinoids have become ubiquitous components of protocols for early recovery after surgery and multimodal analgesia. Neither is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for preventing or treating surgical pain, but their use is predicated on widespread belief in their benefit, including pain reduction and opioid sparing, as well as their lack of side effects and risks. Nevertheless, these longstanding beliefs have recently been challenged.