Enhanced Recovery in Spine Surgery and Perioperative Pain Management

Assessing multidisciplinary follow-up pattern efficiency and cost in follow-up care for patients in cervical spondylosis surgery: a non-randomized controlled study

Background

The use of multidisciplinary treatment programs in out-of-hospital healthcare is a new area of research. Little is known about the benefits of this method in the management of discharged patients undergoing cervical spondylosis surgery.

Objective

This study aimed to explore the effect of a contracted-based, multidisciplinary follow-up plan in patients after cervical spondylosis surgery.

Methods

This non-blinded non-randomized controlled study was conducted with 88 patients (44 in the intervention group, 44 in the control group). The clinical outcomes, including Neck Disability Index (NDI), pain score (VAS), Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6-item Scale (SECD-6), and 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) score were assessed at the time of discharge, 24-72 h, 1 month, and 3 months post-discharge. The complications, patient satisfaction, and economic indicators were assessed at the final follow-up (3 months).

Results

Patients who received contracted follow-up showed greater improvement in neck dysfunction at 24-72 h, 1 month, and 3 months after discharge compared to those who received routine follow-up (p < 0.001). At 1 month after discharge, the intervention group exhibited better self-efficacy (p = 0.001) and quality of life (p < 0.001) than the control group, and these improvements lasted for 3 months. The intervention group reported lower pain scores at 24-72 h and 1 month (p = 0.008; p = 0.026) compared to the control group. The incidence of complications was significantly lower in the intervention group (11.4%) compared to the control group (40.9%). The total satisfaction score was significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.001). Additionally, the intervention group had lower direct medical costs (p < 0.001), direct non-medical costs (p = 0.035), and total costs (p = 0.04) compared to the control group. However, there was no statistically significant difference in indirect costs between the two groups (p = 0.59).

Conclusion

A multidisciplinary contract follow-up plan has significant advantages regarding neck disability, self-efficacy, quality of life, postoperative complications, patient satisfaction, and direct costs compared with routine follow-up.

Predictive factors of symptomatic lumbar pseudoarthrosis following multilevel primary lumbar fusion

Background

Lumbar spinal fusion surgery is a well-established treatment for various spinal disorders. However, one of its complications, pseudoarthrosis, poses a significant concern. This study aims to explore the incidence, time and predictive factors contributing to pseudoarthrosis in patients who have undergone lumbar fusion surgery over a 10-year period.

Methods

Data for this research was sourced from the PearlDiver database where insurance claims of patients who underwent multilevel lumbar spinal fusion between 01/01/2010 and 10/31/2022 were examined for claims of pseudoarthrosis within the 10 years of their index procedure. A variety of demographic, comorbid, and surgical factors were assessed, including age, gender, Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI), surgical approach, substance use disorders and history of spinal disorders. Statistical analyses, including chi-squared tests, multivariate analysis, and cox survival analysis were employed to determine significant associations.

Results

Among the 76,337 patients included in this retrospective study, 2.70% were diagnosed with symptomatic lumbar pseudoarthrosis at an average of 7.38 years in a 10-year follow-up. Multivariate and Cox hazard analyses revealed that significant predictors of symptomatic pseudoarthrosis development following multilevel primary lumbar fusion include vitamin D deficiency, osteoarthritis, opioid and NSAID use, tobacco use, and a prior history of congenital spine disorders.

Conclusions

In summary, this study revealed a 2.70% incidence of symptomatic lumbar pseudoarthrosis within 10 years of the index procedure. It highlighted several potential predictive factors, including comorbidities, surgical approaches, and substance use disorders, associated with the development of symptomatic pseudoarthrosis. Future research should focus on refining our understanding of these factors to improve patient outcomes and optimize healthcare resource allocation.

Erector Spinae Plane Block on Postoperative Pain and Opioid Consumption After Lumbar Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

PURPOSE

Evaluate the effectiveness of the erector spinae plane (ESP) block in lumbar spine surgeries.

DESIGN

Systematic review with meta-analysis.

METHODS

PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and other gray literature were searched for eligible studies. Risk ratio (RR), mean difference (MD), and standardized mean difference were used to estimate outcomes with suitable effect models. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Risk of Bias algorithm and the grades of recommendation, assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) approach.

FINDINGS

Twenty-two randomized controlled trials involving 1,327 patients were included. The erector spinae plane (ESP) block demonstrated a lower cumulative pain score within the first 48 hours at rest (MD, -1.03; 95% CI, -1.19 to -0.87; P < .00001) and during activity (MD, -1.16; 95% CI, -1.24 to -1.08; P < .00001). In addition, ESP block decreased opioid consumption (MD, -6.25; 95% CI, -8.33 to -4.17; P < .00001) and prolonged the time to first analgesic rescue (MD, 5.66; 95% CI, 3.11-8.20; P < .0001) resulting in fewer patients requesting rescue analgesic (RR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.13-0.83; P = .02), lower incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (RR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.10-0.79; P = .02) with improved patient satisfaction score (standardized mean difference, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.40-2.94; P < .00001).

CONCLUSIONS

ESP block can provide effective postoperative pain control for lumbar spine surgery, improve patient satisfaction, and reduce the amount of postoperative opioid use.

Pre-emptive infiltration with betamethasone and ropivacaine for postoperative pain in laminoplasty and laminectomy (PRE-EASE): a prospective randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Postoperative pain after laminoplasty and laminectomy occurs partially from local trauma of the paraspinal tissue. Finding a multimodal analgesic cocktail to enhance the duration and effect of local infiltration analgesia is crucial. Because of the rapid onset and long duration of action of betamethasone, the authors hypothesized that, a pre-emptive multimodal infiltration regimen of betamethasone and ropivacaine reduces pain scores and opioid demand, and improves patient satisfaction following laminoplasty and laminectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint study was conducted between 1 September 2021 and 3 June 2022, and included patients between the ages of 18 and 64 scheduled for elective laminoplasty or laminectomy under general anesthesia, with American Society of Anesthesiologists classification I/II. One hundred sixteen patients were randomly assigned to either the BR (Betamethasone-Ropivacaine) group or the R (Ropivacaine) group in a 1:1 ratio. Each group received pre-emptive infiltration of a total of 10 ml study solution into each level. Every 30 ml of study solution composed of 0.5 ml of betamethasone plus 14.5 ml of saline and 15 ml of 1% ropivacaine for the BR group, and 15 ml of 1% ropivacaine added to 15 ml of saline for the R group. Infiltration of epidural space and intrathecal space were avoided and the spinous process, transverse process, facet joints, and lamina were injected, along with paravertebral muscles and subcutaneous tissue. Cumulative 48 h postoperative butorphanol consumption via PCA (Patient-controlled analgesia) was the primary outcome. Intention-to-treat (ITT) principle was used for primary analysis.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics were identical in both groups ( P >0.05). The cumulative 48 h postoperative butorphanol consumption via PCA was 3.0±1.4 mg in the BR group ( n =58), and 7.1±1.2 mg in the R group ( n =58) ( P <0.001). Overall cumulative opioid demand was lower at different time intervals in the BR group ( P <0.001), along with the estimated median time of first analgesia demand via PCA (3.3 h in the BR group and 1.6 h in the R group). The visual analog scale (VAS) score at movement and rest were also significantly lower until 3 months and 6 weeks, respectively. No side effects or adverse events associated with the intervention were observed in this study.

CONCLUSIONS

Pre-emptive analgesia with betamethasone and ropivacaine provides better postoperative pain management following laminoplasty and laminectomy, compared to ropivacaine alone. This is an effective technique worthy of further evaluation.

Postoperative quality of recovery with erector spinae plane block or thoracolumbar interfascial plane block after major spinal surgery: a randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE

Major spinal surgery causes severe postoperative pain. The present randomized, controlled, prospective study tested the short- and long-term effects of thoracolumbar interfascial and erector spinae plane blocks on patient-centered outcomes for major lumbar spinal surgery.

METHODS

Sixty adult patients were randomly assigned to receive either bilateral thoracolumbar interfascial plane or erector spinae plane block after anesthesia induction using bupivacaine 0.25%, 20 mL. The primary outcome of this study was the Quality of Recovery-40 score in the postoperative 24th hour. Secondary outcomes were Comprehensive Complication Index scores, postoperative pain scores, opioid consumption, first rescue analgesic administration time, and complication incidence.

RESULTS

The recovery scores of both blocks at the postoperative 24th hour were similar, with a median thoracolumbar interfascial plane block of 178 (IQR 173-180) and an erector spinae plane block of 175 (IQR 168.7-182) (p = 0.717). Thoracolumbar interfascial plane block reduced area under the curve pain with movement over 24 h compared with erector spinae plane block (p = 0.024). The pain scores between the groups were similar at all time points (p > 0.05), except the 24th hour with movement in the thoracolumbar interfascial plane block compared with the erector spinae plane block [median 3 (IQR 2-4)] vs. 4 (IQR 3-5), respectively] (p = 0.019). No differences were recorded between the block groups regarding postoperative 24th-h oxycodone consumption, time to first opioid intake, and complication incidence (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Both blocks resulted in similar quality of recovery in the postoperative 24-h period in major spinal surgery and were effective in terms of analgesia.

Perioperative Analgesia in Spine Surgery: A Review of Current Data Supporting Future Direction

This Clinical Research discusses the diverse nature of spine surgery procedures and the use of multimodal analgesia within enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols to improve patient outcomes. Spine surgeries range from minor decompressions to extensive tumor resections, performed by neurosurgeons or orthopedic spine surgeons on adults and children. To manage perioperative pain effectively, various methods have been employed, including multimodal analgesia within ERAS protocols. Incorporating ERAS protocols into spine surgery has shown benefits such as reduced pain scores, decreased opioid use, shorter hospital stays, and improved functionality. ERAS protocols help to enhance patient outcomes, focusing on deconstructing these protocols for surgeons and anesthesiologists.

Accelerated Protocols in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgery

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common form of scoliosis. Treatment depends on the degree of curvature, skeletal maturity, and age of the patient. Once the curve reaches 50 degrees, posterior spinal fusion (PSF) is necessary to stabilize the spine and prevent further progression of the curve. PSF causes significant trauma to the tissues and often results in significant pain postoperatively. The purpose of this article is to provide the audience with a review of preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative pain control with an accelerated protocol in patients with AIS undergoing PSF.

Comparison of Intraoperative Low-Dose Ketodex and Fentanyl Infusion for Postoperative Analgesia In Spine Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Double-Blind Study

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective randomized double-blind study.

PURPOSE

To assess the analgesic effects of the combination of a low-dose ketamine and dexmedetomidine (ketodex) infusion and compare it with that of fentanyl for postoperative analgesia after spine surgeries.

OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE

Adequate pain management following spine surgeries is crucial. Approximately 57% of patients experience inadequate pain control in the first 24 hours following elective spine surgery, which is attributable to the extensive soft tissue and muscle damage.

METHODS

The study included 60 patients graded American Society of Anesthesiologists I and II and scheduled for thoracolumbar spine surgery involving >3 vertebral levels. The patients were divided into two groups: group KD (ketodex) and group F (fentanyl). The primary objective was to compare the postoperative analgesic requirements among the groups. The secondary objectives included a comparison of the intraoperative anesthetic requirements, postoperative pain scores, hemodynamic parameters, side effects of the study drugs, and the duration of post-anesthesia care unit stay of both the groups.

RESULTS

Ketodex use prolonged the mean time to first rescue analgesia (22.00±2.30 hours vs. 11.69±3.02 hours, p <0.001) and reduced the requirement of rescue analgesics in the first 24 hours postoperatively compared to fentanyl use (70.00±8.16 μg vs. 113.31±36.65 μg, p =0.03). The intraoperative requirement of desflurane was comparable between the groups (p >0.05). The postoperative pain scores were significantly lower in the group KD than in group F at most timepoints (p <0.05). Patients in group KD had a shorter post-anesthesia care unit stay than group F did (p <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Low-dose ketodex could be a safe substitute for fentanyl infusion when employed as an anesthetic adjuvant for patients undergoing thoracolumbar spine surgeries involving >3 vertebral levels to achieve prolonged analgesia without any opioidrelated side effects.

Analgesic efficacy of erector spinae plane blocks for lumbar spine surgery: a randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial

INTRODUCTION

Erector spinae plane block has been proposed to reduce opioid use and improve pain relief with controversial results. This randomized clinical study aimed to assess the efficacy of erector spinae plane block in major spine surgery including multimodal and 'Enhance Recovery After Surgery' programs.

METHOD

After institutional review board approval, adult patients undergoing elective lumbar spine surgery with standardized general anesthesia, rehabilitation and multimodal analgesia protocols were randomly allocated to receive bilateral ultrasound-guided block with saline versus ropivacaine (3.75 mg/mL). Before surgery, a bilateral erector spinae plane block was performed at lumbar level (third vertebrae) with 20 mL of solution for each side. The primary outcome was morphine consumption after 24 hours. Secondary outcomes included pain scores and side effects, from postanesthesia care unit to discharge, and questionnaires at 3 months on pain and quality of life (EQ-5D).

RESULTS

From November 2019 to July 2021, 50 patients were enrolled with similar characteristics and surgery for each group. After the first 24 hours, there was no statistical difference regarding cumulative intravenous morphine consumption between ropivacaine and saline groups: 7.3 mg (3.7-19) vs 12.5 mg (3.5-26) (p=0.51). Over the five postoperative days, opioid sparing, pain scores and side effects were similar between groups. At 3 months, pain relief, incidence of chronic pain and EQ-5D were similar between groups.

DISCUSSION

Erector spinae plane block used in conjunction with 'Enhance Recovery After Surgery' and multimodal analgesia protocols provides limited reduction in opioid consumption and no long-term benefits.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

EudraCT 2019-001678-26.

An enhanced recovery after surgery pathway: LOS reduction, rapid discharge and minimal complications after anterior cervical spine surgery

BACKGROUND

Enhance recovery after surgery (ERAS) is a new and promising paradigm for spine surgery. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness and safety of a multimodal and evidence-based ERAS pathway to the patients undergoing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF).

METHODS

The patients treated with the ACDF-ERAS pathway were compared with a historical cohort of patients who underwent ACDF before ERAS pathway implementation. Primary outcome was length of stay (LOS). Secondary outcomes included cost, MacNab grading, complication rates and 90-day readmission and reoperation. And perioperative factors and postoperative complications were reviewed.

RESULTS

The ERAS protocol was composed of 21 components. More patients undergoing multi-level surgery (n ≥ 3) were included in the ERAS group. The ERAS group showed a shorter LOS and a lower cost than the conventional group. The postoperative satisfaction of patients in ERAS group was better than that in conventional group. In addition, the rate of overall complications was significantly higher in the conventional group than that in the ERAS group. There were no significant differences in operative time, postoperative drainage, or 90-day readmission and reoperation.

CONCLUSIONS

The ACDF-tailored ERAS pathway can reduce LOS, cost and postoperative complications, and improve patient satisfaction without increasing 90-day readmission and reoperation.

Dexmedetomidine combined with ropivacaine for erector spinae plane block after posterior lumbar spine surgery: a randomized controlled trial

Purpose

Due to lumbar spinal surgery is frequently accompanied with moderate-to-severe postoperative pain, it is necessary to find an effective postoperative analgesia for patients with this surgery. This study aimed to observe the analgesic effect of dexmedetomidine combined with ropivacaine erector spinae plane block (ESPB) used in posterior lumbar spine surgery.

Methods

In this clinical trial, patients undergoing posterior lumbar spine surgery were recruited and randomly divided into two groups: intervention and control. The intervention group (Group E) received 0.375% ropivacaine with 1 µg/kg dexmedetomidine in a total of 20 ml for ESPB; the control group (Group C) received 20 ml ropivacaine 0.375% for ESPB. US-guided ESPB was performed preoperatively in all patients. Demographics, anesthesia time, surgery time, and ASA grade from the participants were recorded at baseline. The primary clinical outcome measures were 2-, 4-, 8-, 12-, 24-and 48-h visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores after surgery at rest and movement state. Other end points included opioid consumption, number of PCIA presses, flurbiprofen-axetil consumption, quality of recovery and pain management after surgery.

Results

One hundred twenty patients were enrolled in the study (mean [SD] ages: Group E, 54.77 [8.61] years old; Group C,56.40 [7.87] years old; P = 0.280). The mean anesthesia time was 152.55 (15.37) min in Group E and 152.60 (16.47) min in Group C (P = 0.986). Additionally, the surgery time was 141.70 (15.71) min in Group E compared to 141.48 (17.13) min in Group C (P = 0.943). In addition, we found that the VAS pain scores in the resting state during the postoperative period at 8–48 h were lower in Group E than in Group C. However, the VAS pain scores in the active state were lower in Group E at 12–48 h (P < 0.05). More importantly, the consumption of opioids and flurbiprofen-axetil after surgery was also lower in Group E (P < 0.05). Subsequently, we administered questionnaires on the quality of recovery and pain management after surgery that were positively correlated with the postoperative analgesic effect. It was worth affirming that the QoR-15 scores and APS-POQ-R questionnaire results were different between the two groups, further confirming that the combination of drugs not only could obtain an ideal analgesic effect but also had no obvious adverse reactions (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

All the findings suggested that dexmedetomidine could significantly relieve postoperative pain and reduce the consumption of opioids in patients undergoing posterior lumbar spine surgery without obvious adverse reactions as a local anesthetic adjuvant. Further studies with larger sample sizes and different drug dosages may be useful in understanding the potential clinical benefits of dexmedetomidine.

Oliceridine Exhibits Improved Tolerability Compared to Morphine at Equianalgesic Conditions: Exploratory Analysis from Two Phase 3 Randomized Placebo and Active Controlled Trials

INTRODUCTION

In the management of postoperative acute moderate-to-severe pain, opioids remain an important component. However, conventional opioids have a narrow therapeutic index and are associated with dose-limiting opioid-related adverse events (ORAEs) that can result in worse patient outcomes. Oliceridine, a new intravenous µ-opioid receptor agonist, is shown in nonclinical studies to be biased for G protein signaling (achieving analgesia) with limited recruitment of β-arrestin (associated with ORAEs). In two phase 3 randomized controlled studies of patients with moderate-to-severe acute pain following hard or soft tissue surgery, in which analgesia was measured using Sum of Pain Intensity Differences (SPID) from baseline over 48 and 24 h (SPID-48 and -24 respectively, oliceridine at demand doses of 0.1, 0.35, or 0.5 mg was highly effective compared to placebo, with a favorable safety profile compared to morphine. This exploratory analysis was conducted to determine whether the safety benefits seen with oliceridine persisted when adjusted for equal levels of analgesia compared to morphine.

METHODS

Presence of at least one treatment-emergent ORAE (based on Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities [MedDRA]-coded events: hypoxemia, nausea, vomiting, sedation, pruritus, or dizziness) was used as the composite safety endpoint. A logistic regression model was utilized to compare oliceridine (pooled regimens) versus morphine, after controlling for analgesia (using SPID-48 or SPID-24 with pre-rescue scores carried forward 6 h). This analysis excluded patients receiving placebo and was repeated for each study and for pooled data.

RESULTS

At a given level of SPID-48 or SPID-24, patients receiving oliceridine were less likely to experience the composite safety endpoint. Although not statistically significant at the 0.05 level in the soft tissue model, the odds ratio (OR) showed a consistent numerical trend for oliceridine, being approximately half that observed with morphine in both the hard (OR 0.499; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.255, 0.976; p = 0.042) and soft (OR 0.542; 95% CI 0.250, 1.175; p = 0.121) tissue studies. Results from the pooled data were consistent with those observed in the individual studies (OR 0.507; 95% CI 0.304, 0.844; p = 0.009).

CONCLUSION

Findings from this exploratory analysis suggest that at comparable levels of analgesia, patients receiving oliceridine were less likely to experience the composite safety endpoint consisting of ORAEs compared to patients treated with morphine. Oliceridine Exhibits Improved Tolerability Compared to Morphine at Equianalgesic Conditions: Exploratory Analysis from Two Phase 3 Randomized Placebo and Active Controlled Trials- A Video (MP4 99188 kb).

Design and feasibility of a double-blind, randomized trial of peri-operative methylnaltrexone for postoperative ileus prevention after adult spinal arthrodesis

BACKGROUND

Postoperative ileus (POI) is a common complication with no proven prophylactic measures in place. While perioperative opioid use has been implicated in POI development, current treatments fail to target this disease mechanism. Methylnaltrexone (MNTX) has been used to prevent the effects of opioids on the bowel and could reduce the incidence of POI when administered preoperatively.

METHODS

In this phase IIb randomized controlled trial, we assessed the effect of perioperative MNTX on time-to-first-bowel movement following spinal arthrodesis surgeries.

RESULTS

82 patients were randomly selected in a 1:1 ratio to be included in either the treatment or placebo groups. Comparison of relevant factors of included patients to patients who refused to participate (n = 21) and to a prior retrospective series (n = 241) revealed no differences in age, male sex, liver disease, and number of surgical levels. Overall treatment fidelity (98% adherence) and retention (100% at one-month follow-up) were high. The predicted POI incidence (9.3-11.1%) was also equivalent to a prior retrospective series. However, the overall observed POI incidence (3.7%) was lower than expected, which could reflect a superimposed 'trial effect' related to standardized care in a research setting.

CONCLUSIONS

Since exposure to significant opioid doses represents a barrier to enhanced recovery after surgery, the results of this innovative trial may provide further guidance for the peri-operative use of opioid-receptor blockers. Here, we show that MNTX can be effectively administered in the peri-operative period with appropriate follow-up achieved in a representative population of patients undergoing spinal surgery.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS

Clinicaltrials.gov - NCT03852524 and Institutional Review Board - 2018H0260.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery for Patients Undergoing Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a promising approach for the management of peritoneal carcinomatosis, but is associated with significant morbidity and prolonged hospital stay. Herein, we review the impact of Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol on length of stay (LOS) and early complications in patients undergoing CRS and HIPEC for peritoneal carcinomatosis.

Methods: PubMed and Embase were searched for studies comparing ERAS protocol with control for CRS + HIPEC. Mean difference (MD) and risk ratios (RR) were calculated for LOS and complications respectively.

Results: Six retrospective studies were included. Meta-analysis indicated statistically significant reduction in LOS with ERAS (MD: −2.82 95% CI: −3.79, −1.85 I² = 29% p < 0.00001). Our results demonstrated significantly reduced risk of Calvien Dindo grade III/IV complications with the use of ERAS protocol as compared to the control group (RR: 0.60 95% CI: 0.41, 0.87 I² = 0% p = 0.007). Pooled analysis of limited studies demonstrated no statistically significant difference in the risk of reoperation (RR: 1.04 95% CI: 0.54, 2.03 I² = 50% p = 0.90) readmission (RR: 0.55 95% CI: 0.21, 1.49 I² = 0% p = 0.24), acute kidney injury (RR: 0.55 95% CI: 0.28, 1.10 I² = 0% p = 0.09) or mortality (RR: 0.62 95% CI: 0.17, 2.26 I² = 0% p = 0.46) between the study groups.

Conclusion: For CRS + HIPEC, ERAS is associated with significantly reduced LOS along with lower incidence of complications. Limited data suggest that use of ERAS protocol is not associated with increased readmission, reoperation, and mortality rates in these patients. There is a need for randomized controlled trials to corroborate the current evidence.

Multimodal Analgesia in Spine Surgery: An Umbrella Review

OBJECTIVE

In recent years, there has been a growing interest regarding the implementation of multimodal analgesia as an important component of the ideal perioperative patient management. The aim of the current umbrella review was to establish the role of multimodal analgesia in patients undergoing spine surgery during the immediate postoperative period.

METHODS

A systematic review of the pertinent literature was performed. The evaluation was based on a multitude of primary endpoints including the postoperative requirements for patient-controlled analgesia, pain intensity, back-related disability, overall functionality, patient satisfaction, complications, length of hospitalization, and costs.

RESULTS

The results were summarized using a meta-analysis in the presence of quantitative data or in a narrative review, otherwise. There was a large body of high-quality evidence supporting that the implementation of multimodal analgesia improves patient outcome in terms of the intensity of postoperative pain, the requirements for postoperative opioid analgesia, and the opioid-associated side effects. Similarly, limited high-quality evidence supported that multimodal analgesia improved patients' functionality and satisfaction while decreasing the length of hospitalization and overall costs of surgery. However, the results were inconclusive as far as the disability was concerned.

CONCLUSIONS

Multimodal analgesia seems to have an essential role for the optimal management of patients undergoing spine surgery. Future research is required to optimize the multimodal analgesia protocols in this group of patients.