The Effect of Esketamine Combined With Dexmedetomidine on Postoperative Recovery Quality in Patients Undergoing Thoracoscopic Surgery

Launched by FIRST AFFILIATED HOSPITAL OF KUNMING MEDICAL UNIVERSITY · Aug 10, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This study is checking whether giving esketamine together with dexmedetomidine during thoracoscopic (video-assisted) lung surgery improves how well patients recover afterward. Esketamine is a pain-relief drug that may cut the need for opioids, while dexmedetomidine helps with sedation and pain control. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) saline with dexmedetomidine (a placebo esketamine), (2) low-dose esketamine with dexmedetomidine, or (3) high-dose esketamine with dexmedetomidine. The main goal is to see changes in the QoR-15 score, a short questionnaire about recovery, measured before surgery and on days 1 and 3 after surgery.

Eligible participants are adults 18–65 years old who are planned for thoracoscopic lung surgery (often for lung cancer), have a BMI between 18 and 30, and are categorized as ASA I–III meaning they are reasonably healthy for surgery. They must be able to understand and sign consent and have no contraindications to the study drugs. If enrolled, you would be randomly placed into one of the three groups and receive the study medications as part of your anesthesia care. The trial is being conducted at the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University in Kunming, China, and aims to enroll about 120 people, with completion expected around April 2026.

Gender

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Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Age 18-65 years old;
• • 2. BMI 18-30 kg/m2;
• • 3. ASA classification I-III;
• • 4. Patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery;
• • 5. No contraindications to the study drug;
• • 6. Ability to express, communicate, and understand normally;
• • 7. Both the patient and their family members agree to participate in this study and sign the informed consent form.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Patients with poorly controlled or untreated hypertension;
• • 2. Patients with untreated hyperthyroidism;
• • 3. Patients with mental illness, cognitive impairment, or language barriers that prevent communication;
• • 4. Patients with severe cardiopulmonary, hepatic, or renal dysfunction;
• • 5. Patients with increased intracranial pressure;
• • 6. Patients with a history of allergic reactions to any of the drugs used in the study;