The effect of oral clonidine on hemodynamics and postoperative pain in laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Aims and Hemodynamic changes during laparoscopy and postoperative pain after laparoscopic surgery are important issues. Therefore, in this study we examined the effect of oral clonidine on hemodynamics and postoperative pain control after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The study was a randomized clinical trial. 61 patients, candidate for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, were randomly assigned into two groups. The intervention group received 0.2 mg oral clonidine one hour before anesthesia, and the control group was given placebo instead. The hemodynamic changes and postoperative pain were compared between the two groups. Variations of Mean Arterial blood Pressure (P= 0.18) and heart rate (P= 0.15) in the two groups were not statistically significant during surgery. Postoperative analgesic intake in the first 60 minutes of recovery (P=0.006), and 24 hours after surgery (P=0.005) were both significantly lower in the clonidine group. Although oral clonidine had no significant effect on hemodynamic changes during laparoscopic cholecystectomy but it caused a significant reduction in postoperative pain and analgesic requirement.