Perioperative ketamine or esketamine for acute postoperative pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis with meta-regression

Key Points

• Ketamine and esketamine reduce postoperative pain significantly compared to standard interventions.
• The analysis indicates a notable reduction in pain scores, with a critical effect size observed during recovery.
• Systematic review and meta-analysis across multiple studies reveal consistent outcomes for both ketamine and esketamine.
• These findings support wider use of ketamine in clinical practice for effective postoperative pain management.