Many studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of gabapentin for perioperative use in a variety of procedures across disciplines including thoracotomy, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, tonsillectomy, major orthopedic surgery, cesarean sections, and abdominal hysterectomy. Several randomized trials have evaluated the effects of gabapentin administered preoperatively only as well as given pre- and postoperatively for hysterectomy. In a systematic review of 14 studies conducted between 2004 and 2013, with samples ranging from 40 to 200, investigators identified 8 trials in which gabapentin was administered only preoperatively to reduce pain associated with abdominal hysterectomy surgery. Analysis of those data clearly demonstrates that preemptive gabapentin reduced the postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) pain score by approximately 50% and postoperative use of morphine by approximately 37%. The incidence of pruritus and dry mouth in those receiving preemptive gabapentin appeared similar to those receiving placebo, however there was a higher rate of reported dizziness (not statistically significant) associated with gabapentin. In contrast, multiple postoperative doses of gabapentin in addition to the preoperative dose was found to have no significant effect on VAS scores at 24 hours, thus favoring a single preoperative dose.