Gabapentin to Prevent Acute Pain after Tonsillectomy

Abstract

We read with great interest the article of Sanders et al in a recent issue of the journal. 1 The authors examined 73 adults undergoing tonsillectomy and concluded that preemptive gabapentin (600 mg) resulted in greater postoperative pain scores and analgesic consumption following adult tonsillectomy when compared with placebo. The authors should be congratulated for performing a well-designed trial in an important topic for patients undergoing tonsillectomy surgery. 2,3 Although the study of Sanders et al was designed well, there are some concerns regarding their trial that should be clarified to determine the validity of the study findings. First, it would be important to present the postoperative opioid and nonopioid analgesic consumption by study groups, as this can significantly alter the primary outcome. 4,5 Second, although the authors listed the common drugs used during anesthesia, the anesthetic management was not standardized, and this can alter the primary outcome. Last, the authors evaluated 2 primary outcomes (pain at rest and swallowing) across 15 time points. The authors should have corrected their P values to avoid type I errors (Bonferroni-corrected P < .001). We welcome comments to address the aforementioned issues. This would help to further validate the findings of this important study.