Annals of Middle Eastern Medicine
Safety and efficacy of perioperative lowdose esketamine for pain management in laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
By Lama Zaid Alzimami, Mohammed AlAdhab, Muath AlMuhanna and 10 others.
Abstract
Background
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is frequently associated with early postoperative pain and opioid-related adverse effects. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of perioperative low-dose esketamine in adults undergoing LC.
Methods
Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidance, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science were searched from inception to February 2026 for randomized controlled trials comparing esketamine with placebo or a standard anesthetic regimen. Random-effects meta-analyses generated mean differences, standardized mean differences, or risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
