Pain associated with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery frequently results in increased recovery duration and hospital stay. The patient outcome could be deteriorated because of large doses of opioids for pain control through over sedation, and prolonged mechanical ventilation. 

A recent study investigated the effect of pregabalin administration before surgery in the treatment of acute postoperative pain after coronary artery bypass surgery and on the consumption of opioids for acute postoperative pain.

Analysis of VAS in the first 24 hours after extubation revealed a significant difference between Pregabalin and placebo groups. Analysis of systolic blood pressure and heart rate in the first 24 hours revealed no significant difference between Pregabalin and placebo groups. Since the observed “average” differences in systolic blood pressure and heart rate between groups were small, it may have little clinical significance. Furthermore, it would be unrealistic to anticipate a big, dramatic benefit from a single intervention in a complex, multifactorial care process, like cardiac surgery. 

Considering the complexity of these cases, even a small reduction in pain intensity is a meaningful improvement as healthcare workers try their best to improve care for these patients.

Thus, Pregabalin can be regarded as effective for reducing post-CABG pain. It shows better patient satisfaction if given preemptively with a single dose preoperatively.

Source: An International Journal of Medicine. 2021;114(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcab086.052