Comparative Study Between Oral Pregabalin 150mg And Gabapentin 300mg in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Background: Postoperative pain management is crucial with laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which is minimally invasive surgery. Pregabalin and gabapentin are commonly used for pain control, but their relative merits in the control of postoperative pain are unknown. This study compares the safety and efficacy of oral pregabalin (150 mg) with oral gabapentin (300 mg), administered preoperatively, for the control of pain following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Objective: To compare the post-operative pain between oral pregabalin 150mg and gabapentin 300mg in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial. Duration and Place of Study: The study was conducted from September 2024 to 15 Jan 2025 at the Department of Anesthesia. Methodology: A total of 78 patients, aged 18-70 years, who were undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy, were assigned randomly to two groups. One received a single, oral dose of pregabalin, 150 mg, and the other received a single, oral dose of gabapentin, 300 mg, 60 min prior to the operation. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was employed to evaluate the pain at 24 hours’ post-surgery. Results: The mean postoperative pain score was significantly lower in the gabapentin group (1.905 ± 0.21) compared to the pregabalin group (2.085 ± 0.24), with a p-value of 0.001. Stratified analysis showed that age, gender, BMI, dizziness, and residence type significantly affected the pain scores in both groups. Conclusion: Gabapentin provided superior pain relief with fewer side effects than pregabalin in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.