This systematic review and meta-analysis supported the use of dexmedetomidine infiltration as a safe and effective adjunct therapy for pain control following lumbar surgery.

This study aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine in addition to local anesthesia for postsurgery pain management following lumbar surgery.

The Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chinese BioMedical database were explored with search terms- 'lumbar', 'dexmedetomidine', and 'infiltration'. A random-effect model was utilized to execute the meta-analysis.

This review comprised of 6 randomized trials with 330 patients who had lumbar surgery. A significant reduction in postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were observed with the use of dexmedetomidine. The total supplemental analgesic usage was also decreased along with extended median time to first rescue analgesia, and decreased nausea or vomiting.

Wound infiltration with dexmedetomidine appears to be a safe adjunct for postoperative pain relief following lumbar surgery. But, there is a requisition for additional studies to assess the associated side effects, if any.