Predictors of low and high opioid tablet consumption after inguinal hernia repair: an ACHQC opioid reduction task force analysis

• Published in: Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery 2022-12, Vol.26 (6), p.1625-1633
• Main Authors: Perez, A. J., Petro, C. C., Higgins, R. M., Huang, L.-C., Phillips, S., Warren, J., Dews, T., Reinhorn, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdominal Surgery; Analgesics, Opioid - therapeutic use; Anesthesia; Anesthetics, Local; Comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Hernia; Hernia, Inguinal - surgery; Hernias; Herniorrhaphy - adverse effects; Humans; Laparoscopy; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Narcotics; Opioids; Original Article; Patients; Retrospective Studies; Statistical analysis; Surgeons; Surgical Mesh; Tablets
• ISSN: 1265-4906; 1248-9204
• DOI: 10.1007/s10029-022-02661-3

Purpose Prescribing and consumption of opioids remain highly variable. Using a national hernia registry, we aimed to identify patient and surgery specific factors associated with low and high opioid tablet consumption after inguinal hernia repair. Methods This was a retrospective cross-sectional study evaluating patients undergoing elective inguinal hernia repair with 30-day follow-up and patient-reported opioid consumption from March 2019 to March 2021 using the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative. Clinically significant patient demographics, comorbidities, operative details, quality-of-life measurements, and surgeon prescribing data were entered into a multivariable logistic regression model to identify statistically significant predictors of patients who took no opioid tablets or >10 tablets. Results A total of 1937 patients were analyzed. Operations included 59% laparoscopic or robotic, 35% open mesh, and 6% open non-mesh repairs. Of these patients, 50% reported taking zero, 42% took 1–10, and 8% took ≥10 opioid tablets at 30-day follow-up. Patients who were older (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.34–1.79, p -value