Pregabalin as a premedication for anxiety in patients undergoing plastic surgery: randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

[OBJECTIVE] To evaluate the usefulness of premedication with 75 mg pregabalin orally to reduce the degree of preoperative anxiety in patients scheduled for plastic surgery procedures.

[METHOD] A controlled randomized double-blind clinical trial that analyzed two groups of patients: 75 mg pregabalin tablet (Pg) against placebo tablet (Pl). Efficacy was assessed using the visual anxiety scale (VAS) with two measurements, the first without medication and the second 70 minutes after the drug was taken.

[RESULTS] One hundred patients were evaluated, fifty received pregabalin and fifty placebo, baseline VAS score showed an general average of 4.6 ± 1.9 points, significantly higher in the Pg group (Pg 5.2 ± 2.1 points vs 4.1 ± 1.6 points Pl; p = 0.0035). The VAS score after premedication was 3.9 ± 2.1 points, significantly lower in the Pg group (Pg 3.2 ± 1.6 points vs 4.6 ± 2.3 Pl points, p = 0.0006).

[CONCLUSION] Premedication 75 mg pregabalin orally decreases the degree of preoperative anxiety in adult patients scheduled for plastic surgery procedures.