Management of Postoperative Pain in Septorhinoplasty: A Systematic Review

Septorhinoplasties are a common surgery. Effectively managing postoperative pain and identifying opioid reduction techniques is of critical importance. This systematic review characterizes the literature regarding the management of postoperative pain with opioid-based and opioid alternative therapies in patients undergoing septorhinoplasty.

Medline (Ovid), Embase (Elsevier), Cochrane Library (Wiley), and Web of Science (Clarivate).

A literature search was conducted using multiple medical subject headings (MeSH) and keywords with adherence to preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Full-text analysis was performed by two independent reviewers using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) and National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) validated quality assessment tools.

A total of 2503 articles were identified, and 14 studies met inclusion criteria. In the five opioid-based studies, patients were prescribed 10-60 opioid tablets, with consumption of 4.9-14.7 opioid tablets. Six pharmacologic opioid alternative therapy studies included sphenopalatine ganglion block, gabapentin, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), all of which demonstrated either equivalent or improved pain control compared to opioid medications. Three nonpharmacologic opioid alternative studies were included, and one showed that vibration therapy reduced pain scores.

While studies examining postoperative pain control in septorhinoplasty are heterogeneous, our findings suggest that opioids are prescribed in excess of exhibited need. Areas of consideration for opioid alternative multimodal pain control include gabapentin, celecoxib, ibuprofen, or other NSAID therapies, and local anesthetic blocks. Additional studies are needed to further examine minimizing opioids in postoperative pain control.