Highlights
- 1.Pain is improved when oral opioids are not used after bariatric surgery
- 2.Eliminating oral opioid use after bariatric surgery does not impact length of stay
- 3.Eliminating oral opioid use after bariatric surgery does not impact readmissions rate
- 4.Eliminating the use of oral opioids for post-operative analgesia is safe and feasible
Abstract
Background
The bariatric population is at increased risk for developing chronic opioid dependence.
The practice of prescribing oral opioids for analgesia in postoperative ambulatory
settings is a known risk factor for developing chronic opioid dependence. The use
of oral opioids following minimally invasive bariatric surgery may not be necessary.
Objectives
To determine whether there is any measurable impact on patient care metrics (length
of stay, inpatient delta pain score, 30-day emergency department presentations, and
30-day readmissions) when eliminating the use of oral opioids for postoperative analgesia
following laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy
(SG).
Setting
Retrospective cohort study of data collected at a single bariatric center.
Methods
A cohort of 189 consecutive patients received oral opioids in the immediate postoperative
setting, in addition to a prescription for oral opioids at the time of discharge following
LRYGB and SG. A second cohort of 136 consecutive patients did not receive oral opioids
at any point following surgery. A descriptive bivariate analysis was performed to
examine the relationships between cohort characteristics and treatment type. A multivariable
linear regression analysis and a logistic regression analysis were conducted to assess
the association of treatment type with clinical outcomes of interest.
Results
The oral opioid–free cohort received significantly fewer morphine milligram equivalents
during their postoperative hospital admission (P < .001). There were no differences in lengths of stay, 30-day emergency department
presentations, or 30-day readmissions. Patients in the oral opioid–free cohort reported
lower average delta pain scores (P < .001).
Conclusion
Eliminating the use of oral opioids for analgesia following LRYGB and SG does not
negatively impact patient care metrics and may improve patient-reported analgesia,
as reflected by a significant difference in delta pain scores averages. Elimination
of oral opioids from all postoperative analgesia regimens is feasible.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 08, 2021
Accepted:
March 4,
2021
Received:
September 6,
2020
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
ScienceDirect
Access this article on ScienceDirectLinked Article
- Comment on: Feasibility study on elimination of all oral opioids following bariatric surgerySurgery for Obesity and Related DiseasesVol. 17Issue 6
- PreviewSystemic administration of opioids for short-term postoperative pain has been shown to increase risks for chronic opioid use among a diverse range of patient populations [1]. Bariatric surgery patients may be at particularly high risk for chronic opioid use and misuse postoperatively, as extreme obesity is associated with higher rates of chronic pain, opioid use, and substance misuse [2]. Additionally, anatomic and physiologic changes from some bariatric procedures (e.g., Roux-en-Y gastric bypass [RYGB]) accelerate the rate and extent of opioid absorption, which may increase opioid use motivation [2].
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- Comment on: Feasibility study on elimination of all oral opioids following bariatric surgerySurgery for Obesity and Related DiseasesVol. 17Issue 6
- PreviewWith opioid abuse at epidemic proportions, conventional wisdom would support avoidance of narcotic pain medications in the postoperative period. However, we typically do not promote conventional wisdom, and instead seek scientific data to support our recommendations. Meyers et al. [1] have provided us with some well-thought-out scientific data, and for that they should be commended. However, their investigation leaves us with a few unanswered questions:
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