Opioid Use and Associated Patient Satisfaction With Pain Control After Endoscopic Surgery and Robotic-Assisted...

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Pain Management
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Postoperative pain management is crucial for patient recovery after urologic procedures.
• Non-opioid pain management strategies are increasingly important for reducing opioid dependence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient-reported outcomes for non-opioid pain management after endourologic procedures and robotic assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).
• To demonstrate the efficacy of non-opioid postoperative pain management strategies in these patient groups.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving patient telephone questionnaires and chart reviews.
• Recorded opioid prescriptions, opioid use, and patient-reported pain outcomes.
• Utilized bivariate analyses for the RARP cohort and reported overall trends for endourologic procedures.

Main Results:

• For endourologic procedures, 9% reported opioid use, and 85% found pain well controlled.
• For RARP, 23 out of 57 patients reported opioid use, with nearly all satisfied with pain control.
• A majority of patients in both groups reported pain less than expected and were satisfied with pain management.

Conclusions:

• Patients undergoing endourologic procedures rarely use postoperative opioids and report favorable pain control.
• Most RARP patients are satisfied with pain control, with low opioid usage even when prescribed.
• Non-opioid pain management appears effective for both endourologic procedures and RARP.