Perioperative Ketorolac Use: A Potential Risk Factor for Renal Dysfunction After Live-Donor Nephrectomy

Effectiveness of Postoperative Single-shot and Continuous Transverse Abdominis Plane Block Compared to Conventional Analgesia in Hand-assisted Laparoscopic Live-donor Nephrectomy

Background

Few studies have evaluated the efficacy of transverse abdominis plane (TAP) block in patients undergoing hand-assisted laparoscopic live-donor nephrectomy (HALN). We aimed to evaluate the analgesic effectiveness of TAP block as part of a multimodal pain management regimen in patients undergoing HALN.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of living kidney donors at our center between June 2016 and February 2020. HALNs were performed via a transperitoneal approach through a suprapubic incision. Additional laparoscopic ports were used in the upper midabdomen. In consenting donors, TAP block was performed postoperatively under ultrasound guidance with either a single-shot or continuous infusion of long-acting local anesthetic (0.2%-0.5% ropivacaine). All the patients received postoperative around-the-clock ketorolac and acetaminophen.

Results

Overall, 72 donors received the block (block group, 38 single-shot, 34 continuous), whereas 86 donors did not receive the block (control group). Baseline characteristics were comparable between the groups except for body weight (control: 71.8 ± 13.3 versus block: 77.8 ± 17.3 kg; P = 0.01) and intraoperative opioid dose (32.1 ± 9.6 versus 26.6 ± 10.7 morphine milligram equivalents; P < 0.001). After adjusting for baseline differences, postoperative opioid requirements were similar between the groups. When the baseline pain scale was adjusted for, there was no difference in the overall pain scale scores between the groups (P = 0.242). Subgroup analyses comparing single-shot or continuous TAP versus control did not show any differences.

Conclusions

With the caveat of the retrospective nature of the study, the adjunctive effect of TAP block after transabdominal HALN was limited when other multimodal analgesia was used.

Comparison between ketorolac- and fentanyl-based patient-controlled analgesia for acute kidney injury after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: a retrospective propensity score-matched analysis

PURPOSE

It is unclear whether ketorolac-based patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) leads to acute kidney injury (AKI) after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) in patients susceptible to AKI. We compared the postoperative AKI incidence with ketorolac- and fentanyl-based PCA after RARP.

METHODS

After medical record review, eligible patients were divided in ketorolac and fentanyl groups. We conducted propensity score matching of 3239 patients and assigned 641 matched patients to each group, and compared the AKI incidence. We investigated potential risk factors for postoperative AKI, defined according to the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes criteria. We collected preoperative data (age, height, weight, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status, medical history, creatinine level, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and hemoglobin level) and intraoperative data (maintenance anesthetics, surgery duration, anesthesia duration, crystalloid amount, colloid use, total amount of fluid administered, estimated blood loss, norepinephrine use, phenylephrine use, and PCA type).

RESULTS

The postoperative AKI incidence was significantly higher in the ketorolac than in the fentanyl group, both before (31.1% vs. 20.4%; p < 0.001) and after (31.5% vs. 22.6%; p < 0.001) matching. In the univariate analysis, ketorolac was significantly associated with postoperative AKI, both before (odds ratio [OR], 1.762; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.475-2.105; p < 0.001) and after (OR, 1.574; 95% CI, 1.227-2.019; p < 0.001) matching. In the multivariate analysis, ketorolac-based PCA was independently associated with development of postoperative AKI in the matched groups (OR, 1.659; 95% CI, 1.283-2.147; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Ketorolac-based PCA may increase postoperative AKI incidence after RARP; thus, renal function should be monitored in these patients.

Evaluation of a multimodal analgesic regimen on outcomes following laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy

Postoperative pain is a significant source of morbidity in patients undergoing living donor nephrectomy (LDN) and a deterrent for candidates. We implemented a standardized multimodal analgesic regimen, which consists of pharmacist-led pre-procedure pain management education, a combination transversus abdominis plane and rectus sheath block performed by the regional anesthesia team, scheduled acetaminophen and gabapentin, and as-needed opioids. This single-center retrospective study evaluated outcomes between patients undergoing LDN who received a multimodal analgesic regimen and a historical cohort. The multimodal cohort had a significantly shorter length of stay (LOS) (days, mean ± SD: 1.8 ± 0.7 vs. 2.6 ± 0.8; p < .001) and a greater proportion who were discharged on postoperative day (POD) 1 (38.6% vs. 1.5%; p < .001). The total morphine milligram equivalents (MME) that patients received during hospitalization were significantly less in the multimodal cohort on POD 0-2. The outpatient MME prescribed through POD 60 was also significantly less in the multimodal cohort (median [IQR]; 180 [150-188] vs. 225 [150-300]; p < .001). The mean patient-reported pain score (PRPS) was significantly lower in the multimodal cohort on POD 0-2. The maximum PRPS was significantly lower on POD 0 (mean ± SD: 7 ± 2 vs. 8 ± 1, respectively; p = .02). This study suggests that our multimodal regimen significantly reduces LOS, PRPS, and opioid requirements and has the potential to improve the donation experience.

Comparison of Postoperative Renal Function between Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug and Opioids for Patient-Controlled Analgesia after Laparoscopic Nephrectomy: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be used as opioid alternatives for patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). However, their use after nephrectomy has raised concerns regarding possible nephrotoxicity. This study compared postoperative renal function and postoperative outcomes between patients using NSAID and patients using opioids for PCA in nephrectomy. In this retrospective observational study, records were reviewed for 913 patients who underwent laparoscopic or robot-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy from 2015 to 2017. After propensity score matching, 247 patients per group were analyzed. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) percentages (postoperative value divided by preoperative value), blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/creatinine ratios, and serum creatinine percentages were compared at 2 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery between users of NSAID and users of opioids for PCA. Additionally, postoperative complication rates, postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) incidences, postoperative pain scores, and lengths of hospital stay were compared between groups. Postoperative GFR percentages, BUN/creatinine ratios, and serum creatinine percentages were similar between the two groups. There were no significant differences in the rates of postoperative complications, incidences of AKI, and pain scores at 30 min, 6 h, 48 h, or 7 days postoperatively. The length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the NSAID group than in the opioid group. This study showed no association between the use of NSAID for PCA after laparoscopic nephrectomy and the incidence of postoperative renal dysfunction.

One-Year Post Hoc Analysis of Renal Function for Live Kidney Donors That Were Enrolled in an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Pathway With Ketorolac

Background and Objective Opioid exposure is a concern after live donation for kidney transplants (LDKT). We previously theorized that an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathway for LDKT will reduce perioperative narcotic use. The aim of this post hoc analysis of merged data from two ERAS trials was to review the one-year follow-up to determine if the exposure to ketorolac versus placebo had any significant impact on long-term kidney function after LDKT. Methods One-year post hoc analysis of merged data from two ERAS LDKT, prospective, double-blind, randomized clinical trials were combined involving a total of 72 patients undergoing nephrectomy for LDKT. Kidney functions of both the ERAS groups' versus placebo were compared prospectively and blinded at one year using estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and total protein (TP) in the urine in compliance with United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) live donor requirements. Results There was no significant difference in postoperative eGFR at one year between ERAS and placebo groups. TP urine at one-year post-operative was significantly lower in the ERAS cohort by 4.7 mg/dl (95% CI 0.48 ~ 8.82, p = 0.025). Conclusions The ERAS groups' exposure to ketorolac did not negatively affect kidney function at one year after LDKT.

Prescription patterns of opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the first year after living kidney donation: An analysis of U.S. Registry and Pharmacy fill records

We examined a novel database linking national donor registry identifiers to records from a US pharmaceutical claims warehouse (2007-2015) to describe opioid and NSAID prescription patterns among LKDs during the first year postdonation, divided into three periods: 0-14 days, 15-182 days, and 183-365 days. Associations of opioid and NSAID prescription fills with baseline factors were examined by logistic regression (adjusted odds ratio, LCL aORUCL ). Among 23,565 donors, opioid prescriptions were highest during days 0-14 (36.6%), but 12.6% of donors filled opioids during days 183-365. NSAID prescriptions rose from 0.5% during days 0-14 to 3.3% during days 183-365. Women filled opioids more commonly than men, and black donors filled both opioids and NSAIDs more commonly than white donors. After covariate adjustment, significant correlates of opioid prescription fills during days 183-365 included obesity (aOR,1.24 1.381.53 ), less than college education (aOR,1.19 1.311.43 ), smoking (aOR,1.33 1.451.58 ), and nephrectomy complications (aOR,1.11 1.291.49 ). NSAID prescription fills in year 1 were not associated with differences in estimated glomerular filtration rate, incidence of proteinuria or new-onset hypertension at the first and second year postdonation. Prescription fills for opioids and NSAIDs for LKDs varied with demographic and clinic traits. Future work should examine longer-term outcome implications to help inform safe analgesic regimen choices after donation.

Impact of the Type of Analgesic Therapy on Postsurgical Complications of Patients with Kidney Cancer Undergoing Nephrectomy

BACKGROUND

The treatment of kidney cancer usually involves surgery, and in some cases systemic therapy. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used to control postsurgical pain in patients undergoing nephrectomy for renal cancer. Nevertheless, the association between these drugs and adverse postsurgical outcomes, including deterioration of renal function, is not fully established.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included patients >18 years old with kidney cancer undergoing nephrectomy between January 2006 and January 2018. The primary endpoint was to determine the impact of postsurgical analgesic therapy (NSAIDs vs. acetaminophen) on renal function and postsurgical complications. This study was approved by our scientific and bioethical committee.

RESULTS

One hundred patients were included in the final analysis. Clear-cell renal-cell carcinoma was the most frequent histologic subtype. Adequate acute pain control was accomplished in 91% of the patients during hospitalization. Twenty percent of the patients presented postsurgical complications. Bleeding-related complications were the most frequent (9%), followed by surgical-site infection (6%) and acute renal injury (6%). The administration of NSAIDs was not related to any postsurgical complication in comparison with the use of acetaminophen (21.3 vs. 17.9%, respectively). The length of hospital stay did not differ between patients treated with NSAIDs and those treated with acetaminophen (the average stay was 4 days for both groups, p = 0.32).

CONCLUSION

The use of NSAIDs was not related to acute kidney injury, postsurgical complications, or prolonged hospital stay in patients with renal cancer undergoing nephrectomy.

Arachidonic Acid Metabolism and Kidney Inflammation

As a major component of cell membrane lipids, Arachidonic acid (AA), being a major component of the cell membrane lipid content, is mainly metabolized by three kinds of enzymes: cyclooxygenase (COX), lipoxygenase (LOX), and cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes. Based on these three metabolic pathways, AA could be converted into various metabolites that trigger different inflammatory responses. In the kidney, prostaglandins (PG), thromboxane (Tx), leukotrienes (LTs) and hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs) are the major metabolites generated from AA. An increased level of prostaglandins (PGs), TxA₂ and leukotriene B4 (LTB₄) results in inflammatory damage to the kidney. Moreover, the LTB₄-leukotriene B4 receptor 1 (BLT1) axis participates in the acute kidney injury via mediating the recruitment of renal neutrophils. In addition, AA can regulate renal ion transport through 19-hydroxystilbenetetraenoic acid (19-HETE) and 20-HETE, both of which are produced by cytochrome P450 monooxygenase. Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) generated by the CYP450 enzyme also plays a paramount role in the kidney damage during the inflammation process. For example, 14 and 15-EET mitigated ischemia/reperfusion-caused renal tubular epithelial cell damage. Many drug candidates that target the AA metabolism pathways are being developed to treat kidney inflammation. These observations support an extraordinary interest in a wide range of studies on drug interventions aiming to control AA metabolism and kidney inflammation.

Prospective, double-blind, randomized clinical trial comparing an ERAS pathway with ketorolac and pregabalin versus standard of care plus placebo during live donor nephrectomy for kidney transplant

Opioid exposure is a concern after live donation for kidney transplant. We theorized that an enhanced recovery after surgery pathway (ERAS) using pregabalin preoperatively to desensitize nerves followed by the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug ketorolac, during and after surgery, can control pain, thus requiring less perioperative narcotics. The aim of this study was to determine if the use of a nonopioid analgesic ERAS protocol for donor nephrectomies could decrease the use of narcotics without an increase in complications compared with standard of care (SOC). This is a single-center, prospective, double-blind, randomized clinical trial involving a total of 62 patients undergoing nephrectomy for live donor kidney transplant. Length of hospital stay (LOS) was significantly reduced by 10% in the ERAS group versus the SOC-plus-placebo group. Morphine dose equivalents were significantly reduced by 40% in the study group versus the SOC-plus-placebo group. The use of this nonopioid analgesic ERAS pathway for donor nephrectomies decreased the use of narcotics without an increase in complications compared with SOC. There was significantly reduced LOS and less narcotic use in the study group versus the SOC-plus-placebo group. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT03669081).