The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an anesthesia management strategy called opioid-sparing anesthesia could help reduce postoperative opioid consumption, pain intensity and enhance recovery in elderly patients undergoing spine surgery. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does opioid-sparing anesthesia reduce postoperative opioid consumption?
Dose opioid-sparing anesthesia improve postoperative pain and enhance recovery?
Researchers will compare opioid-sparing anesthesia to routine anesthesia which is used most common in clinical practice to see if opioid-sparing anesthesia lead to fewer postoperative opioid consumption and better pain and recovery outcomes.
Participants will randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will receive opioid-sparing anesthesia management , while the other group will receive routine anesthesia management during general anesthesia.
Participants will provide two rectal swab samples for analysis, complete five questionnaires once preoperatively, and then complete five questionnaires daily for three days postoperatively.
Aged ≥ 65 years
Undergoing multilevel level (≥2 levels) spine surgery under general anesthesia
Able to provide written informed consent
Diagnosed with severe cognitive impairment or psychiatric disorders that impair participation or communication
Pregnant or breastfeeding
Patients with contraindications to any of the medications in the study protocol (unstable angina, recent myocardial infarction, cerebral or aortic aneurysms, increased intracranial pressure, increased intraocular pressure, psychosis or schizophrenia, pheochromocytoma, epilepsy, second- or third-degree atrioventricular block, bradycardia (heart rate < 50bpm), liver failure, hypotension (systolic BP <80 mmHg))
Drug or alcohol abuse
Parallel
Opioid-Sparing Protocol
DrugThe opioid-sparing anesthesia protocol consists of continuous intravenous infusion of ketamine (5 μg/kg/min) and dexmedetomidine (0.6 μg/kg/h) during general anesthesia. If needed during surgery, rescue analgesia with dexmedetomidine (0.4 μg/kg, i.v.) or ketamine (5 mg, i.v.) may be administered as clinically indicated.
Routine anesthesia protocol
DrugRoutine anesthesia consisting of standard general anesthetic management per institutional practice, which include opioid-based analgesia as clinically indicated, which is fentanyl 100 μg during induction, and if needed during surgery, rescue analgesia with hydromorphone may be administered as clinically indicated.
Opioid consumption
Total morphine equivalent consumption during the first 24 hours after surgery
Pain Scores (NRS)
Pain intensity will be assessed after recovery and 1, 6, 24, 48, 72 hours after surgery using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) daily, including NRS at rest, NRS on movement.
Time to First Rescue Analgesia
The exact time (in hours and minutes) from the end of surgery to the administration of the first rescue analgesic will be recorded.
Total Analgesic Consumption
The cumulative amount of all pain medications (opioid and non-opioid, oral and intravenous) administered within 3 days postoperatively, including total morphine equivalent consumption during 48 hours and 72 hours after surgery.
Time to first postoperative flatus
The exact time (in hours and minutes) from the end of surgery to the first postoperative flatus will be recorded.
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