Opioid Consumption after Carotid Revascularization

Opioid overdose is now the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. Overprescription of opioids is one factor contributing to this epidemic. Previous studies demonstrated an overprescription of opioids compared with patient consumption after general surgery procedures. The objective of this study is to evaluate opioid consumption after carotid revascularization.

This is a retrospective review of the opioid-prescribing habits after discharge of carotid revascularization. Patients who were documented to receive an opioid prescription were included in the study. A phone survey was conducted to determine patient consumption of the prescribed pills. Surgical procedures include carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and transcarotid arterial revascularization (TCAR). The primary outcome is the difference between opioids prescribed and opioids consumed.

There were 209 patients available for inclusion. The mean age was 68 years with white (98%) males (58%) making up most patients. CEA and TCAR accounted for 75% and 25% of cases, respectively. About 98 (47%) patients were prescribed opioids after discharge. Eight were excluded from analysis (3 for prior opioid use and 5 declined participation). About 71% of patients participated in the survey. A total of 1,623 pills were prescribed (25.4 ± 5.5 per patient), but only 336 pills were consumed (5.3 ± 1.1 per patient). About 1,287 (79% of total) pills were not consumed.

These data are the first to compare opioid prescription with opioid consumption after carotid revascularization. We demonstrate that patients consume much less opioids than prescribed. These findings indicate that a reduction in opioid prescriptions may be possible after carotid revascularization.