Abstract:Objective To investigate the effects of ketorolac tromethamine combined with sufentanil on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores and serum stress indicators [norepinephrine, cortisol (Cor), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)] in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 202 patients who underwent LC at Zhumadian Central Hospital from December 2022 to December 2024. According to the anesthesia regimen, the patients were divided into two groups: control group (n=101, received sufentanil analgesia) and experimental group (n=101, received ketorolac tromethamine combined with sufentanil analgesia). The VAS scores for resting and activity were compared between the two groups at 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, and 24 h after surgery. The levels of norepinephrine, Cor, and ACTH were compared preoperatively and at 1 d, 3 d, and 6 d after surgery. Postoperative indicators such as awakening time, time to restore spontaneous breathing, sufentanil dosage, and effective analgesia pump presses were also compared between the two groups. Results The VAS scores for activity at 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, and 24 h after surgery were lower in the experimental group than those in the control group (P<0.05). The levels of Cor, norepinephrine, and ACTH at 1 d, 3 d, and 6 d after surgery were also lower in experimental group (P<0.05). Compared to control group, the experimental group used less sufentanil [ (72.63±3.88) μg vs (95.84±5.19) μg, t=35.997, P<0.01]and had fewer effective analgesia pump presses [ (3.22±1.10) times vs (6.85±1.39) times, t=20.581, P<0.01], with statistically significant differences. Conclusion Ketorolac tromethamine combined with sufentanil can reduce postoperative pain, alleviate the stress response, and decrease sufentanil usage and analgesia pump presses in LC patients.