Effect of coenzyme Q10 on pain prevention after thoracoscopic surgery: study protocol

Postoperative pain is common after VATS and typically requires analgesics, which may have side effects. coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, might help reduce this pain, though its effectiveness remains uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of perioperative oral CoQ10 administration on post-surgical pain. In total, 264 patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic lung resection will been rolled and randomly assigned to either the CoQ10 or placebo groups. The primary outcome is the incidence of chronic postsurgical pain at 3 months postoperatively. Secondary outcomes include the incidence of moderate to severe acute pain assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after surgery; severity of chronic pain and incidence of neuropathic pain at 3 months postoperatively; frequency of rescue analgesics used at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after surgery; dose of analgesic used at 6, 12, 24, and 48 h after surgery; quality of life scores on postoperative day 3 and at 3 months; length of postoperative hospital stay; and occurrence of other adverse events. The findings of this study can provide evidence for the use of CoQ10 as a perioperative analgesic intervention to optimize postoperative pain management.Clinicaltrial registration www.clinicaltrials.gov identifier is NCT06743802.