Lidocaine combined with low‐dose esketamine for movement‐evoked pain after hepatectomy: a double‐blind randomised controlled trial
Authors' conclusion
The combination of lidocaine with esketamine reduced movement-evoked pain and opioid consumption whilst improving quality of recovery during the initial 72 h after hepatic resection.
Study context
- Population
- Patients having elective hepatic resection (all with TAP blocks and sufentanil PCA)145 (48%) open surgery
- Participants
- 304 patients
- Comparison
- Lidocaine-esketamine vs placebo
- Primary endpoint
- Movement-evoked pain
- Follow-up
- 24 h
Methodological detailsdouble-blind, placebo-controlled
- Double-blind
- Placebo-controlled
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Pain score with movement
Lidocaine-esketamine
3
median · IQR [range] 2-4 [1-6]
Placebo
4
median · IQR [range] 3-5 [1-9]
P < 0.001
Further findings
Moderate-to-severe movement-evoked pain · 24 h
P < 0.001
Median
| Outcome | Lidocaine-esketamine | Placebo | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pain score with movement · 48 h | P < 0.001 | ||
| Pain score with movement · 72 h | 2 (IQR [range] 1-3 [0-6]) | 3 (IQR [range] 2-4 [0-7]) | P < 0.001 |
Cumulative sufentanil equivalents and quality of recovery · first 72 h
- Sufentanil equivalents significantly reduced at each time and quality of recovery significantly higher with lidocaine-esketamine vs placebo, but changes clinically modest
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Lidocaine combined with low‐dose esketamine for movement‐evoked pain after hepatectomy: a double‐blind randomised controlled trial. Anaesthesia. Published 31 March 2026. doi:10.
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