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Background Opioid dependence is a public health crisis and surgery is a risk factor for long-term opioid use. Though minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is associated with less perioperative pain, demonstrating an association with less long-term opioid use would be another reason to justify adoption of minimally invasive techniques. We compared the rates for long-term opioid prescriptions among patients in a large national database who underwent minimally invasive and open colectomy. Methods Using the MarketScan Database, we retrospectively analyzed patients undergoing colon resection for benign and malignant diseases between 2013 and 2017. Among opioid-naïve patients who had ≥ 1 opioid prescriptions filled perioperatively (30 days before surgery to 14 days after discharge), propensity score matching was applied for group comparisons [open (OS) versus MIS, and laparoscopic (LS) versus robotic-assisted surgery (RS)]. The primary outcome was long-term opioid use defined as the proportion of patients with ≥ 1 long-term opioid prescriptions filled 90–180 days after discharge. Risks factors for long-term opioid use were assessed using logistic regression. Results Among the 5413 matched pairs in the MIS versus OS cohorts, MIS significantly reduced long-term opioid use of ‘any opioids’ (13.3% vs. 20.9%), schedule II/III opioids (11.7% vs. 19.2%), and high-dose opioids (4.3% vs. 7.7%; all p < 0.001). Among the 1195 matched pairs in the RS versus LS cohorts, RS was associated with less high-dose opioids (2.1% vs. 3.8%, p = 0.015) 90–180 days after discharge. Other risk factors for long-term opioid use included younger age, benign indications, tobacco use, mental health conditions, and > 6 Charlson comorbidities. Conclusion Minimally invasive colectomy is associated with a significant reduction in long-term opioid use when compared to OS. Robotic-assisted colectomy was associated with less high-dose opioids compared to LS. Increasing adoption of minimally invasive surgery for colectomy and including RS, where appropriate, may decrease long-term opioid use.

IMPORTANCEGiven the widespread adoption and clinical benefits of minimally invasive surgery approaches (MIS) in partial nephrectomy (PN) and radical nephrectomy (RN), assessment of longterm cost implications is relevant. OBJECTIVE To compare health care utilization and expenditures within 1 year after MIS and open surgery (OS). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSThis cohort study was conducted using a US commercial claims database between 2013 and 2018. A total of 5104 patients aged 18 to 64 years who underwent PN or RN for kidney cancer and were continuously insured for 180 days before and 365 days after surgery were identified. An inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis was performed to examine differences in costs and use of health care services. EXPOSURES Surgical approach (MIS or OS). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESOutcomes assessed included 1-year total health care expenditure, health care utilizations, and estimated days missed from work.

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