The use of morphine derivatives is widespread for performing general anesthesia. However, opioids have their own side effects: respiratory depression, digestive ileus, cognitive dysfunction, postoperative hyperalgesia, nausea-vomiting or even negative effects on inflammation or adrenal function. The advent of new molecules, with analgesic properties that do not pass through opioid receptors, has allowed the emergence of the concept of anesthesia without morphine (opioid free anesthesia OFA). These molecules are essentially: dexmedetomidine, ketamine, lidocaine. Thus, the use of ketamine is currently recommended in the event of major surgery in order to limit postoperative pain and hyperalgesia. Likewise, the use of dexmedetomidine in place of an opioid during bariatric surgeries has been shown to reduce postoperative pain and intraoperative hemodynamic manifestations. In addition, it would also reduce the incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction. A recent meta-analysis even suggested a decrease in length of stay, mechanical ventilation, atrial fibrillation and mortality with the use of dexmedetomidine in the perioperative period. The combined use of various non-morphine analgesic molecules therefore opens the way to anesthesia without morphine, and a French multicenter study on this strategy in general non-cardiac surgery is currently underway. Cardiac surgery is characterized by significant postoperative pain, a high incidence of cognitive dysfunction, and frequent and sometimes significant respiratory complications. An OFA strategy could therefore be beneficial to these patients, but no study has yet addressed the subject.
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To assess the impact of general anesthesia strategy without the use of opioids (OFA) on the incidence of major postoperative complications related to opioids compared to the reference strategy using opioids.
Timeframe: 48 hours post-surgery