A High Dose of Fentanyl May Accelerate the Onset of Acute Postoperative Pain

Abstract

Fentanyl is a popular intraoperative analgesic linked with the development of opioid tolerance (OT) or opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH). The development of OIH or OT may lead to several issues such as delayed healing after surgery and timely discharge. Moreover, it causes discomfort in patients with higher pain scores, greater use of analgesics, and other associated side effects. The current study aimed at determining whether the amount of intraoperatively administered fentanyl affects the onset of acute postoperative pain. The current retrospective study was conducted on 56 patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. In patients receiving relatively large doses of fentanyl intraoperatively (over 3 µg/kg body weight), the onset of acute postoperative pain accelerated significantly, in comparison with the ones receiving lower doses.