A study depicted tapentadol has similar pain-alleviation efficacy compared to oxycodone during the first 24 hours after hysterectomy, but with considerably less nausea. A randomized, single-centre, blinded trial was performed to explore the pain-relieving effect of tapentadol with oxycodone following laparoscopic hysterectomy.

The study cohort included 86 females (opioid-naïve American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status 1 to 3) undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy for nonmalignant conditions. Participants were given either oral tapentadol or oxycodone as part of the multimodal pain therapy. The extended-release study medicine was given one hour preoperatively and after 12 hours.

The immediate-release study medicine was utilized as rescue analgesia. Pain scores, opioid intake, and opioid-stimulated adverse events were determined during the first 24 hours after the operation. Both groups displayed similar scores for pain at rest utilizing a numerical rating scale (NRS) one hour after surgery (Tapentadol group 4.4, Oxycodone group 4.6).

Both groups illustrated comparable NRS at rest or while coughing during the 24 hour follow-up period. The average dose of oral rescue medicine was comparable for the cohorts. Tapentadol group had considerably lower odds for nausea at two and three hours after surgery and less requirement for antiemetics compared to the oxycodone group. No differences were witnessed for headache, sedation, respiratory depression, dizziness, vomiting, or pruritus.