This meta-analysis examined the effect of Pregabalin on pain intensity in those undergoing thoracic surgery.

A systematic search was done on Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO databases. The inclusion criteria encompassed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the influence of Pregabalin on pain intensity post-thoracic surgery.

The meta-analysis incorporated five RCTs. Overall, when compared to control interventions in thoracic surgery, Pregabalin illustrated a significant reduction in pain scores at 0 hour (mean difference [MD]= -0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI]=-1.10 to -0.30; P = 0.0005), pain scores at 24 hours (MD=-0.47; 95% CI=-0.75 to -0.18; P = 0.001), and neuropathic pain (odds ratio [OR] = 0.24; 95% CI = 0.12 to 0.47; P < 0.0001).

However, it did not exhibit a noticeable impact on the occurrence of nausea (OR = 1.24; 95% CI = 0.46 to 3.35; P = 0.68), headache (OR = 1.00; 95% CI = 0.30 to 3.35; P = 1.00), or dizziness (OR = 1.07; 95% CI = 0.15 to 7.46; P = 0.95).

Pregabalin demonstrated effectiveness in reducing pain scores at 0 hours, 24 hours, and alleviating neuropathic pain. But, it did not significantly influence the incidence of nausea, headache, or dizziness.