The Effect of Intraoperative Esmolol to Improve Postoperative Quality of Recovery and Pain After Ambulatory Surgery

Seventy percent of surgeries performed in the United States are done in an outpatient setting.Pain Control after ambulatory surgery is very challenging because patients do not have access to fast and potent intravenous medications Pain after ambulatory surgery is poorly controlled in the United States with up to seventy five percent of patients having moderate to severe pain after ambulatory procedures. Postoperative pain have been associated with serious morbidity, including myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism. The use of intraoperative opioids can result in an exaggerated response to pain (hyperalgesia) and contribute to an exacerbation of pain after surgical procedures.Opioids are commonly given intraoperative, not in response to pain, but in response to hyperdynamic cardiovascular states. Esmolol is a short acting beta 1 antagonist that can be used to treat/prevent hyperdynamic states during surgery. More importantly, esmolol has been shown to have central antihyperalgesic effects that might contribute to a reduction in postoperative pain. It is therefore conceivable that the use of intraoperative esmolol instead of opioids to avoid hyperdynamic states during surgery can result in lower postoperative pain. Since postoperative pain can substantially affect postoperative quality of recovery, it is also conceivable that the use of intraoperative esmolol might result in an improved postoperative quality of recovery to surgical patients. The main objective of the current study is to examine the effect of intraoperative esmolol on postoperative quality of recovery. A secondary objective is to examine the effect of esmolol on postoperative pain. Significance: Postoperative pain after ambulatory surgery has been shown to be poorly managed in The United States. The goal of this study is to investigate if a change in the intraoperative pharmacologic management of patients undergoing ambulatory surgery can improve their postoperative quality of recovery and pain. The research question is; does the use of intraoperative esmolol improve postoperative quality of recovery after ambulatory surgery? Does the use of intraoperative esmolol improve postoperative pain after ambulatory surgery? The hypotheses of this study is; does the use of intraoperative esmolol improves postoperative quality of recovery after ambulatory surgery. The use of intraoperative esmolol reduces postoperative pain after ambulatory surgery.