![]() | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Opioid-free anesthesia (OFA) is an anesthesia technique in which no perioperative opioids are administrated through either systematic, neuraxial, or intracavitary routes considering patient’s comfort, analgesia, or hemodynamic stability are not affected. The use of OFA reduces common side effects of opioids receptors activation such as sedation, dysphoria, delirium, constipation, urinary retention, and postoperative nausea and vomiting.Opioid free anaesthesia reduces the chances of life-threatening side effects such as respiratory depression and airway obstruction and promotes rapid recovery. The protocols of OFA decreases both the hospital length of stay and the cost of medical care. Dexmedetomidine acts on α-2 adrenergic receptors of the locus coeruleus, resulting in quicker onset of sedation with less respiratory depression. Dexmedetomidine preserves airway patency and the normal sleep architecture. It also has bronchodilator properties. It lacks any of the common side effects of opioids such as respiratory depression, urinary retention, pruritus, ileus, or postoperative nausea and vomiting and is reported to decrease postoperative opioid requirement by 50 %. |