Review article

https://doi.org/10.20471/acc.2023.62.02.15

Opioid Free General Anesthesia in Clinical Practice – a Review Article

Sanja Sakan orcid.org/0000-0002-9551-413X ; Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Medicine, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia *
Žana Turudić ; Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Medicine, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Sanja Peremin ; Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Medicine, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Andrej Šribar ; Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Medicine, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia; School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Nataša Sojčić ; Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Medicine, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Marcela Čučković ; Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Medicine, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Domagoj Vergles ; Department of Surgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Jasminka Peršec ; Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Medicine, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia; School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

* Corresponding author.

Abstract

Currently, enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are multimodal
perioperative care pathways with the goal to achieve early patient recovery after surgery with minimal
postoperative complications. According to studies, opioid free general anesthesia has many perioperative
benefits and should be part of the ERAS protocols in specific surgical and patient indications. Opioid
free general anesthesia is a multimodal balanced technique that is based on the concept that opioids are
not used preoperatively or intraoperatively until the patient has aroused. The basic concept of opioid
free general anesthesia is intravenous administration of several nonopioid drugs that operate at different
pharmacological sites blocking surgical stress and sympathetic activation response. Moreover, current
studies have shown that opioid free anesthesia is a technique which satisfactorily controls postoperative
pain as the fifth vital sign, and has minimal side effects and better patient recovery with the same surgical
conditions as general multimodal balanced anesthesia. However, further research is needed.

Keywords

Acute pain; Multimodal anesthesia; Opioid free anesthesia; Perioperative period

Hrčak ID:

308841

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/308841

Publication date:

1.8.2023.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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