Objective  To assess the effects of dezocine combined with different drugs on sleep quality and early postoperative recovery quality after laparoscopic resection of gastric cancer.

  Methods  In total, 240 patients during April 2020 to December 2020 were randomly assigned into four groups for patient-controllled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) from Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, namely group S, group DS, group DF, and group DD. Group S was administered sulfentanil 2.5 µg/kg; group DS, dezocine 0.4 mg/kg and sulfentanil 1.25 µg/kg; group DF, dezocine 0.4 mg/kg and flurbiprofen 200 mg; and group DD, dezocine 0.4 mg/kg and dexmedetomidine 1 μg/kg. Athens insomenia scale (AIS) and quality of recovery-40 (QoR-40) were evaluated one night preoperatively and first to third nights postoperatively. The self-controlled time and additional time of PCIA were recorded at 0–24 h, 24–48 h, and 48–72 h after surgery, and adverse effects were recorded.

  Results  Compared with group S, sleep quality of groups DF and DD was improved on the first and second nights postoperatively, and the QoR-40 of groups DF and DD was increased 3 days after surgery (P<0.05). The rates of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and headache were decreased, and pruritus was not noted (P<0.05).

  Conclusions  Compared with opioid drugs, dezocine combined with different drugs showed no difference in terms of providing analgesia for patients undergoing laparoscopic resection of gastric cancer. Dezocine combined with flurbiprofen and dexmedetomidine can improve sleep quality and early postoperative recovery quality after surgery and can decrease adverse effects.