Effect of Ketamine on Postoperative Clinical Outcomes

Intraoperative Ketamine Administration in Colorectal Surgery: Effect on Postoperative Clinical Outcomes

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of ketamine as an analgesic adjuvant in decreasing the narcotic (opioids) analgesics during surgery, on pain management and on the later recovery after surgery in patients undergoing colorectal surgery.

Adjuvant is a drug that has few or no pharmacological effects by itself, but may increase the effectiveness or strength of other drugs when given at the same time.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Patients scheduled to undergo small and/or large partial bowel resection via laparotomy or laparoscopy
2. Willingness and ability to sign an informed consent document
3. No allergies to anesthetic or analgesic medications
4. 18 - 80 years of age
5. American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Class I - III adults of either sex

Exclusion Criteria

1. Inability to comprehend the pain assessment tools
2. Patients with known allergy, hypersensitivity or contraindications to anesthetic or analgesic medications
3. Patients with clinically-significant heart disease including arrhythmias and significant hypertension, brain aneurysms, prior history of cerebral vascular accident (CVA), or chronic renal insufficiency
4. Prior abdominal surgery
5. History of abdominal carcinomatosis
6. History of radiation enteritis;
7. Patients with history of hepatic, renal, cardiac failure, organ transplant, or diabetes
8. Patients with seizures
9. Morbid obesity (body mass index >40)
10. Pregnant or lactating women
11. Subjects with a history of alcohol or drug abuse within the past 3 months
12. Any other conditions or use of any medication which may interfere with the conduct of the study
13. Prophylactic Nasogastric Tube (NGT) use
14. Individuals with significant manic disorders including: schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder or psychosis
15. Individuals with asthma and/or thyroid diseases