To investigate the analgesic effect and postoperative cognitive function of nalbuphine combined with dezocine multimodal analgesia on patients undergoing radical surgery for colon cancer.

A total of 150 patients who underwent radical surgery for colon cancer at Ankang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from June 2022 to June 2025 were selected as the study subjects, they were randomly divided into group A, group B, and group C, with 50 patients in each group. Group A received self-administered intravenous analgesia with nalbuphine combined with dezocine after surgery, group B received dezocine for self-administered intravenous analgesia after surgery, and group C received nalbuphine for self-administered intravenous analgesia after surgery. At 4 hours (T1), 8 hours (T2), 12 hours (T3), 24 hours (T4), and 48 hours (T5) after surgery, the hemodynamic indicators [heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP)], neuroendocrine hormones [cortisol (Cor), norepinephrine (NE), substance P (SP)], inflammatory mediators [prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), interleukin-1β (IL-1β)], pain severity [visual analog scale (VAS)], sedative effect [using Ramsay sedation score], cognitive function [Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score], the number of self-controlled presses of the analgesic pump between the two groups of patients were compared, and the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups were compared and analyzed.

From T1 to T5 after surgery, the changes in HR, SBP, DBP, and MAP in group A were significantly lower than those in group B (P<0.05), while there was no statistically significant difference in the changes in HR, SBP, DBP, and MAP between group B and group C (P>0.05). At postoperative time T2-T5, the levels of Cor, NE, SP, PGE2, IL-1β, VAS, Ramsay score, and the number of self-controlled presses of the analgesic pump in the three groups were significantly lower than the previous time (P<0.05). At postoperative time T1-T5, the levels of Cor, NE, SP, PGE2, IL-1β, VAS, Ramsay score, and the number of self-controlled presses of the analgesic pump in group A were significantly lower than those in groups B and C (P<0.05). The levels of Cor, NE, SP, PGE2, IL-1β, VAS, Ramsay score, and the number of self-controlled presses of the analgesic pump in group B were significantly lower than those in group C (P<0.05). At T2-T5 after surgery, the MMSE scores of the three groups were significantly higher than the previous time (P<0.05). At postoperative time T1-T5, the MMSE score in group A was significantly higher than that in groups B and C (P<0.05), and the MMSE score of group B was significantly higher than that of group C (P<0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in group A was lower than that in groups B and C (P<0.05), and the incidence of adverse reactions in group B was lower than that in group C (P<0.05).

The use of nalbuphine combined with dezocine anesthesia for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing radical surgery for colon cancer can effectively reduce postoperative pain and stress reactions, improve analgesic and sedative effects, and has high safety.