Clinical and Economic Implications of Postsurgical Use of Opioid Therapy

Extended pain relief trial utilizing infiltration of Exparel®, a long-acting multivesicular liposome formulation of bupivacaine: a Phase IV health economic trial in adult patients undergoing open colectomy

“…However, a large proportion of patients continue to experience significant pain following both inpatient and outpatient surgeries 5–8. Balancing the need for adequate postsurgical pain relief while minimizing treatment-related adverse effects is a key factor for timely patient recovery and ambulation, as well as patient satisfaction after surgery 4,9–12. While opioids are effective analgesics and continue to be a mainstay of postsurgical pain management regimens, opioid-related adverse events are common and the clinical and economic burden associated with these events is significant 11.…”

Bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension compared with bupivacaine HCl for the reduction of opioid burden in the postsurgical setting

“…This is of considerable clinical and economic concern, as poorly controlled pain is associated with decreased patient satisfaction and delays in patient discharge following outpatient surgery [3][4][5] .…”

“…Such opioid-related adverse events (ORAEs) may be costly to treat and can result in a longer hospital stay and increased consumption of healthcare resources 3,10,11 .…”

Evolving Role of Local Anesthetics in Managing Postsurgical Analgesia

“…1,31 Although the use of PCA improves pain control and patient satisfaction, 32 the incidence of ADEs associated with opioid PCA appears similar to that associated with other methods of administration. 33 Moreover, the risk of errors and ADEs associated with setup, programming, and use of PCA devices was well documented. 31,34,35 Despite the large body of literature that documents tolerability concerns associated with PCA, the Joint Commission recommends the use of PCA to reduce the risk of oversedation, albeit in combination with smart infusion pump technology that includes dosage error reduction software and strategies to eliminate risk related to PCA by proxy.…”