Feasibility study on elimination of all oral opioids following bariatric surgery

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.

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).

Retrospective cohort study of data collected at a single bariatric center.

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.

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).

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.