Department of Urology and Department of Anesthesiology, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California, USA

Correspondence to: C P Evans, Department of Urology, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, 4860 Y Street, Suite 3500, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. E-mail: cpevans@ucdavis.edu

We retrospectively analyzed the analgesic efficacy and surgical outcomes of a single preoperative intrathecal long-acting morphine sulfate injection (0.25-0.5 mg) and postoperative intravenous (i.v.) ketorolac in 62 patients who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP). Total postoperative analgesic requirement was documented along with assessment of length of hospital stay, pain control and time for resumption of normal activity. Postoperatively, 45% of patients required only nonsteroidal agents (ketorolac), whereas 55% needed a mean of 13.3 mg of supplemental i.v. morphine sulfate. Mean hospital stay was 2.3±0.3 days. Eighty-two per cent of patients felt the length of hospital stay adequate. Ninety-seven per cent of patients were satisfied with anesthesia selected and 95% of patients considered pain control on postoperative days 1 and 2 as effective. All patients resumed to full physical activity by 5.3±0.4 weeks after surgery. We conclude that a single preoperative injection of intrathecal morphine sulfate combined with i.v. ketorolac postoperatively results in effective analgesia, diminished supplemental narcotic requirement and high patient satisfaction during radical retropubic prostatectomy.

Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases (2002) 5, 226-230. doi:10.1038/sj.pcan.4500584

prostatectomy; pain control; intrathecal morphine; analgesia; ketorolac