Patient-Reported Satisfaction with Non-opioid and Opioid Pain Control is Comparable Following Common Orthopedic...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Pain Management
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Overprescribing of opioids contributes to widespread misuse.
• Effective post-operative pain control is crucial for patient recovery and satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare pain management success and patient satisfaction between opioid and non-opioid analgesia after common orthopedic procedures.
• To identify variations in satisfaction levels based on pain management strategies.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study involving phone surveys and electronic medical record review (2017-2019).
• Recorded opioid prescriptions, usage, and patient-reported outcomes.
• Compared outcomes for knee arthroscopy, shoulder arthroscopy, and carpal tunnel release patients.

Main Results:

• Knee arthroscopy patients not using opioids reported significantly better pain control and satisfaction (p=0.002, p=0.005).
• High satisfaction (≥96%) was observed for both opioid and non-opioid users in shoulder arthroscopy and carpal tunnel release.
• No significant differences in satisfaction were found for carpal tunnel release or shoulder arthroscopy patients.

Conclusions:

• Non-opioid analgesia may offer superior pain control and satisfaction after knee arthroscopy.
• Patient satisfaction is high regardless of opioid use for shoulder arthroscopy and carpal tunnel release.
• Clinicians should consider non-opioid alternatives for specific orthopedic procedures to optimize patient outcomes.