Acetaminophen versus NSAIDs for better short-term outcomes after esophagectomy: systematic review

Introduction: This systematic review endeavors to compare the efficacy of acetaminophen and NSAIDs in achieving favorable short-term outcomes following esophagectomy. Through a comprehensive analysis of the existing evidence, this review aims to offer valuable insights into the optimal choice of analgesics for managing postoperative pain in the specific patient cohort undergoing esophagectomy. The study’s findings have the potential to inform healthcare providers, aiding them in making informed decisions and implementing evidence-based analgesic strategies to enhance outcomes and improve the overall postoperative experience for esophagectomy patients. A narrative synthesis will be conducted on the included studies, summarizing their characteristics, interventions, and outcomes in tabular format. If considered appropriate and feasible, a meta-analysis will be executed to compute pooled effect sizes for the primary outcome measures, utilizing suitable statistical methods such as Mantel-Haenszel or inverse variance. The predominant outcome measure in the majority of the included studies was postoperative pain scores. The consistent findings across these studies indicated the effectiveness of both acetaminophen and NSAIDs in reducing postoperative pain after esophagectomy. However, no significant differences were identified between the two analgesic options concerning pain scores, suggesting comparable pain relief during the immediate postoperative period.