Gabapentin Fails to Improve Post-Surgical Recovery, Major Trial Reveals
Bristol, United Kingdom – October 6, 2025 – A large-scale, randomized controlled trial has found gabapentin offers no discernible benefit in enhancing recovery after major surgery.The study, published today in Anesthesiology, challenges common practice and suggests the widely prescribed medication does not reduce long-term pain, opioid consumption, or length of hospital stay following surgical procedures.
The findings are particularly relevant given the ongoing opioid crisis and the search for effective non-opioid pain management strategies. Millions undergo major surgery annually, and gabapentin has been frequently used in attempts to minimize postoperative discomfort and reliance on opioid painkillers. This research indicates that adding gabapentin to standard multimodal analgesia-a combination of pain relief methods-does not translate into improved outcomes for patients.
Researchers, led by Sarah Baos, PhD, of the University of Bristol, investigated the impact of gabapentin on recovery following major surgery. The trial involved a significant number of patients and rigorously compared outcomes between those receiving gabapentin and a placebo group. Key measures assessed included length of hospital stay, total opioid use, incidence of long-term pain, and patient-reported quality of life, as measured by SF-12 scores. None of these metrics showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups.
“Length of stay is crucial, as it is reflective of all harms and benefits in the peri- and postoperative period, which are important to both patients and healthcare providers,” Dr. Baos and colleagues wrote in the published study.
The study did acknowledge certain limitations. Researchers excluded emergency and minor surgeries from the analysis, and the prescribed gabapentin dosing may not perfectly align with all clinical practices.additionally, some participants did not fully adhere to the prescribed medication schedule.
Despite these limitations, the study’s conclusion is clear: gabapentin, when added to existing multimodal analgesia, does not improve recovery outcomes after major surgery.Hospital stay, opioid use, long-term pain, and quality-of-life remained unchanged compared to placebo.
The research was funded by the United Kingdom National Institute for Health and Care research. Several investigators disclosed financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies, while others reported no competing interests.
