Papers of the Week

Providing analgesia after bariatric surgery might be challenging due to a high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and the increased sensitivity to respiratory depression triggered by opioid overuse after surgery. Various combination methods with paracetamol, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and other pain medications such as ketamine or gabapentin have been suggested for reduction of the opioid usage. Regional anesthetic techniques represent a valuable option as they improve patient comfort while reducing opioid-related side effects. In this study, we have evaluated the adjuvant benefits of these various techniques in reduction of the postoperative pain in bariatric surgery.