Prospective evaluation of postoperative pain and opioid use after minor urologic surgery

INTRODUCTION: Filling an opioid prescription after a minor urologic procedure increases patient risk of overdose and misuse. Strategies to reduce the number of opioids reaching the community are critical. This study evaluated opioid use after minor urologic procedures at a Canadian academic center and guides future prescribing recommendations.METHODS: We prospectively evaluated patients over 18 years old undergoing minor urologic procedures (penile, scrotal, urethral, etc.) from September 2020 to May 2022. Consenting participants were given a pain diary and postoperative pain questionnaire. Patients on chronic pain medications or those who had major surgery within six months were excluded. Response rate, pain on visual analog scale, pain control satisfaction, quantity of opioids prescribed, and consumption of opioid and non-opioid medication were collected and analyzed.RESULTS: Ninety-five patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 61.7 years (range 20-87) and 96% of patients identified as male. The response rate for the opioid diary and pain questionnaire was 57%. Forty-two patients (78%) were offered an opioid prescription following their surgery, but only 12 of those patients (22%) filled and consumed any opioid analgesics. Forty-two patients (78%) used no postoperative opioids, and the mean oral morphine equivalents (OME) consumed was 5.87 (standard deviation 16.7). There was a total of 259 OME unused from post-procedure prescriptions. The mean overall pain score for patients who did and did not fill opioid prescriptions were 3.18/10 and 1.79/10 (p<0.01), respectively, with mean overall pain management satisfaction score of 8.63/10 and 8.58/10 (p=0.94), respectively.CONCLUSIONS: Most patients undergoing minor urologic procedures do not require opioids to manage postoperative pain. Based on our data, we suggest that a prescription of 39 OME would adequately treat postoperative pain in 95% of patients undergoing minor urologic procedures. Education around pain management with non-narcotic modalities is imperative, and practice changes are warranted to address the opioid crisis within our specialty.