Opioid-Free Anesthesia and Same-Day Surgery Laparoscopic Hiatal Hernia Repair

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair is commonly performed with a 1 to 2 night hospitalization. Our aim was to compare the feasibility and short-term outcomes of same-day surgery (SDS) laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair with an opioid-based anesthesia protocol (OBAP) vs an opioid-free anesthesia protocol (OFAP). STUDY DESIGN: Outcomes and pharmacy costs of repairs with OBAP were compared with OFAP. Values were expressed as median (interquartile range) and costs as means. RESULTS: There were 244 primary laparoscopic repairs. OBAP was used in 191 of 244 (78.3%) vs OFAP in 53 of 244 (21.7%). The length of stay was 1 day (0 to 2) vs 0 days (0 to 1), p = 0.006. There was no difference between the percentage of patients requiring analgesics and dosage between the 2 groups. SDS was planned in 157 and performed in 74 of 122 (60.7%) vs 33 of 35 (94.3%), p < 0.001. The age was 56 years (45 to 63) vs 60 years (56 to 68), p = 0.025. There were more type I hiatal hernia in SDS-OBAP and more type III and IV in SDS-OFAP, p = 0.031. American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status was II (II–III) vs III (II–III), p = 0.045. SDS was not performed in 50 of 157 (31.8%), 48 of 122 (39.3%) vs 2 of 35 (5.7%), p < 0.001. Out of 157 planned SDS, nausea/retching were causes of transition in 19 of 122 (15.6%) vs 0 of 35 (0%), p = 0.020. Multivariable logistic regression showed the odds of SDS were 8.21 times (95% CI 3.10 to 21.71; p < 0.001) greater in OFAP compared with OBAP, adjusting for sex, age, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status, type of hiatal hernia, type of procedure, and duration of the operation. Patients with opioid medication after SDS discharge were 74 of 74 (100%) vs 22 of 33 (66.7%), p < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: Opioid-free anesthesia increases the feasibility of SDS hiatal hernia repair with less perioperative nausea and comparable pain control and pharmacy cost.

Opioid-free general anesthesia: considerations, techniques, and limitations

“…In a recent review and meta-analysis of cardio-thoracic surgery patients, there were no differences in pain or analgesic requirements with OFA [34]. Also, no differences in analgesia were observed in major or intermediate noncardiac surgery [10], laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair [35], or thoracoscopic surgery patients (a well designed trial on 120 patients) [36]. More importantly, similar analgesia and other outcomes have been noted with opioid-sparing analgesia, as noted in ambulatory hip arthroplasty under general anesthesia [37 & ].…”

Impact of Opioid-Free Anesthesia on Postoperative Quality of Recovery in Patients After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy-A Randomized Controlled Trial

“… 4 At present, OFA is increasingly promoted in clinical practice and widely used in gynecology, orthopedics and gastrointestinal laparoscopic surgeries. 5 It can control postoperative pain effectively, decrease the incidence of long-term chronic pain, reduce opioid drug consumption, speed up postoperative recovery, relieve patient anxiety and shorten the length of hospital stay. 6 , 7 …”

“…4 At present, OFA is increasingly promoted in clinical practice and widely used in gynecology, orthopedics and gastrointestinal laparoscopic surgeries. 5 It can control postoperative pain effectively, decrease the incidence of long-term chronic pain, reduce opioid drug consumption, speed up postoperative recovery, relieve patient anxiety and shorten the length of hospital stay. 6,7 Based on these considerations, we designed a prospective, randomized, single-blinded study to primarily evaluate the impact of OFA on postoperative quality of recovery as measured by the QoR-15 questionnaire on POD 1 and POD 2 after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.…”

Opioid-free anesthesia with ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block in the supine position for lower abdominal or pelvic surgery: a randomized controlled trial

“…The two pillars of OFA comprise regional anesthesia (axonal and peripheral) and multimodal analgesia (acetaminophen, steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, alpha-2 agonists, n-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists, local anesthetics, and drugs such as gabapentin) 1 – 3 . OFA increases the feasibility of same-day surgery with less perioperative nausea while achieving comparable pain control and pharmaceutical costs 4 . The QLB is a novel and effective method for abdominal analgesia.…”