A Prospective Analysis of Opioid Prescription, Consumption, and Psychometric Correlations in Outpatient Plastic Surgery Procedures

Background: Understanding opioid prescription, consumption, and the factors related to these is important to prescribe opioids responsibly. Our primary purpose is to determine the factors predicting opioid prescription, and the secondary purpose is to examine the factors predicting opioid tablet consumption. Methods: A prospective cohort was evaluated using 2 surveys. The primary outcome was type of prescription given (opioid vs non-opioid). The secondary outcome was the number of opioid tablets consumed at the second survey. Demographics, the pain catastrophizing scale, and patient health questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) for depression and anxiety were collected. Statistics included Chi-Square, student's t-test, univariable, and multivariate regression analyses. Results: Four hundred and forty patients completed the first survey, of which 193 completed the second. Two-hundred and fourteen (49%) patients received an opioid prescription. Opioids were given most often after: surgery in the main operating room (OR 23.6 [10.0-55.2]), breast or abdomen (OR 11.1 [1.2-101.1]), upper limb (OR 4.0 [1.7-9.3]), and less often after dermatologic surgery (OR 0.2 [0.1-0.5]). Among patients who received opioids, a mean of 10 opioid tablets were consumed at the post-operative survey. More tablets were consumed when: age was less than 60 ( P < .05), with pre-operative opioid use ( P = .03), and with a high score on the PHQ-4 ( P = .002). Conclusions: The patterns of opioid prescription and consumption after outpatient Plastic Surgery are elucidated. Plastic surgeons over-estimate patients’ opioid requirements. Potentially less opioids could be prescribed in the minor procedure room without an increase in pain crises. Public health campaigns should focus on the proper disposal of unused opioid tablets.