Patient Satisfaction with Nonopioid Postoperative Analgesia in Head and Neck Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Trial

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate patients' satisfaction with opioid versus opioid-sparing postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing outpatient head and neck surgery. Study Design: Prospective randomized trial. Setting: Tertiary care academic hospital. Methods: Adult patients undergoing outpatient head and neck surgery were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 analgesic regimens. First- and second-line medications were the following by group (1) Hydrocodone-acetaminophen with ibuprofen, (2) ibuprofen with hydrocodone-acetaminophen, and (3) ibuprofen with acetaminophen. Preoperative counseling was provided to patients regarding expected pain and proper medication use. Postoperative questionnaires were administered to assess satisfaction. Results: One hundred three patients were enrolled in the study (mean age, 56.5 years; women, 75 [73%]). The mean satisfaction score with the pain regimen assigned was similar between the 3 groups (scale 0-10, [7.7, 8.3, 8.5, P =.46]). A similar percentage of patients in each group reported that surgery was more painful than anticipated (25%, 32%, 26%, P =.978), and a similar percentage of patients reported willingness to utilize the same analgesic regimen following future surgeries (75%, 83%, 76%, P =.682). Additional questions evaluating the side effect profile, maximum and minimum pain scores, and difficulty of recovery were not statistically different between the 3 groups. Conclusion: In the postoperative population for outpatient head and neck surgeries, there was no significant difference in patient satisfaction and pain control between the opioid and nonopioid arms. Providers should discuss opioid-sparing regimens preoperatively with patients and describe them as effective in providing adequate pain control without a significant impact on patient's perception of care.