Efficacy of intravenous dexmedetomidine versus lidocaine on postoperative gynecological surgery: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Aims: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of dexmedetomidine and lidocaine in gynecological postoperative follow-up. Methods: This study was conducted by using scientific databases (Scopus, ScienceDirect, Springer Link, and PubMed) to search for randomized controlled studies comparing intravenous dexmedetomidine and lidocaine in gynecological surgery patients with postoperative outcomes. Results: Out of 236 articles, four articles were included for analysis. Dexmedetomidine reduced the VAS score in 2 h (MD -0.30, p=0.001), 12 h (MD -0.39, p=0.004), and 24 h (MD -0.15, p=0.03) after operation. Additionally, the combination of dexmedetomidine and lidocaine reduced the VAS score in 2 h (MD -‍0.70, p<0.001) and 12 h (MD -0.81, p=0.03) after the operation. Conclusion: Thus, dexmedetomidine was more potent in reducing postoperative pain after gynecological surgery compared to lidocaine. Furthermore, the combination of these regiments provided better outcomes.