Effect of intraoperative esketamine on moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms in major surgery patients: A randomized clinical trial.
Pharmacological research July 1, 2026 Yang Zhou, Wanchen Sun, Yuxuan Fu et al.
Among patients undergoing major surgery who had moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms before the operation, a single intraoperative dose of esketamine led to a higher rate of symptom remission three days after surgery compared with a placebo. In a randomized, double-blind trial of 435 patients, 28.3% in the esketamine group achieved remission versus 11.3% in the placebo group. Acute pain rates did not differ between groups. Esketamine treatment requires monitoring for possible dissociative side effects, and its clinical use for depressive symptoms should weigh benefits against risks.