Esmolol as an Adjunct in Multimodal Anesthesia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Its Opioid-Sparing and Analgesic Effects

Esmolol infusion significantly reduces opioid consumption and postoperative pain, with a magnitude of effect that may have clinical significance. The observed effects remained consistent in subgroups where confounding variables, expected to bias the results toward the null, were present. However, the uncertainty in later pain outcomes and the persistent heterogeneity warrant further research into esmolol's applicability across different surgical contexts and populations.