Abstract:Objective To evaluate the effect of low-dose esketamine in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery segmentectomy.Methods This study included 106 patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery segmentectomy at Leshan People's Hospital from February 2022 to February 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to two different treatment groups using stratified random sampling. The experimental group (53 patients) received a combination of low-dose esketamine and flurbiprofen axetil. After anesthesia induction, flurbiprofen axetil (1 mg/kg) was intravenously administered, followed by esketamine (0.5 mg/kg) before the skin incision. Esketamine was then infused at a rate of 0.25 mg/(kg·h) until skin suturing started. The control group (53 patients) received the same dosage of flurbiprofen axetil (1 mg/kg) intravenously, but instead of esketamine, the same volume of saline was administered before the skin incision and continued until suturing. We compared the two groups regarding hemodynamics [systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate (HR) before anesthesia induction (T0), 5 minutes after entering the thoracic cavity (T1), 10 minutes after removal of the double-lumen tube (T2) ], consumption of sufentanil and flurbiprofen axetil, cognitive function [Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores before surgery and 1 d, 2 d and 3d after extubation], serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅲ (CAMK Ⅲ), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), quality of recovery [Quality of Recovery 40-item questionnaire (QoR-40) scores], emotional status [Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores], and adverse effects (nausea, vomiting, respiratory depression, dizziness, and skin allergies).Results Comparisons of SBP, DBP, MAP, and HR in the two groups at T0, T1, and T2 showed that they differed significantly across time points (F = 19.904, 29.923, 22.524, and 13.769, respectively; all P < 0.05). A significant difference in MAP was observed between the two groups (F = 20.099, P < 0.05), with the MAP at T2 being higher in the experimental group than in the control group. No significant differences were found between the two groups in SBP, DBP, or HR (F = 2.072, 0.038, and 0.092, respectively; all P > 0.05). The trend of MAP changes differed significantly between the two groups (F = 36.736, P < 0.05), whereas the trends of SBP, DBP, and HR changes did not differ significantly (F = 0.006, 0.486, and 0.092, respectively; all P > 0.05). Intraoperative and postoperative 24-hour sufentanil consumption, as well as postoperative 24-hour flurbiprofen axetil consumption, were lower in the experimental group than in the control group (all P < 0.05). No significant difference was observed in intraoperative flurbiprofen axetil consumption between the two groups (P > 0.05). Comparisons of MMSE scores before surgery and at 1, 2, and 3 days after extubation demonstrated that MMSE scores differed significantly across time points (F = 1830.314, P < 0.05) and between the two groups (F = 382.161, P < 0.05), with higher scores in the experimental group, indicating relatively better cognitive function. The trends of MMSE score changes differed significantly between the two groups (F = 125.299, P < 0.05). Levels of IL-6 and CAMK III were lower in the experimental group than in the control group (P < 0.05), whereas levels of 5-HT and BDNF were higher in the experimental group (P < 0.05). The experimental group had lower QoR-40 scores (P < 0.05) and higher HADS-A and HADS-D scores than the control group (both P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the overall incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P > 0.05).Conclusion A low-dose esketamine combined with flurbiprofen axetil opioid-sparing regimen effectively reduces opioid consumption during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery segmentectomy, improves cognitive function and postoperative recovery, lowers inflammatory markers, enhances mood and quality of recovery, and shows no significant difference in adverse reactions.