Efficacy of Pregabalin as an Adjunct in Control multimodal pain management after hemorrhoidectomy

• Grant number: 25/04689-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Sarhan Sydney Saad
• Grantee: Isabel Rodrigues Polonio
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Hemorrhoidal disease is one of the most common anorectal pathologies, with a prevalence ranging between 4.4% and 38.9% in the general population. Therapeutic management ranges from conservative measures, such as dietary adjustments and use of topicals, to surgical interventions, with classic hemorrhoidectomy being the treatment of choice for advanced cases. Although effective, this procedure is associated with significant postoperative pain, representing a clinical challenge. Several strategies have been proposed to control post-hemorrhoidectomy pain, including anesthetic blocks, analgesics, anti-inflammatories, botulinum toxin and sitz baths, with varying results. In this context, pregabalin, an anticonvulsant that modulates neuropathic pain, has shown efficacy as part of multimodal analgesia protocols, reducing the need for opioids and increasing patient comfort. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of pregabalin as part of a multimodal analgesia protocol in the postoperative period of hemorrhoidectomy, comparing it to the use of placebo in the same protocol. (AU)