Efficacy of subcutaneous sumatriptan in postcraniotomy pain and opioid consumption.

Objective: Traditional pain management pathways following craniotomy are predicated on opioids. However, narcotics can confound critical neurological examination, contribute to respiratory depression, lower the seizure threshold, and lead to medication habituation, dependence, and/or abuse. Alternative medications to better address postoperative pain while mitigating opioid-related adverse effects remain insufficiently studied. Preliminary studies suggest sumatriptan, a 5-HT (1B/1D) receptor agonist known to regulate dural vasoactivity and inflammation, may moderate pain following trigeminal microvascular decompression and chronic postcraniotomy headache. In this study, the authors evaluated the efficacy of sumatriptan to modulate pain and opioid requirements following craniotomy surgery.

Methods: This was a single academic center, retrospective cohort study of 300 consecutive adult patients who underwent elective craniotomy surgery between 2015 and 2022. Patients were equally divided between a control and a sumatriptan cohort contingent upon administration of 6 mg of subcutaneous sumatriptan within 1 hour of surgery completion and prior to opioid administration. Postoperative opioid consumption at 6, 12, and 24 hours, as well as admission total, inpatient length of stay, and 30-day global reevaluation, were assessed.

Results: Three hundred patients were included for analysis. Significant differences were seen in baseline hypertension (p < 0.01), hyperlipemia (p < 0.01), anxiety (p = 0.04), and operative time (p = 0.02). A significant reduction of mean postoperative pain scores at 12 (p = 0.03) and 24 (p < 0.01) hours and total opioid consumption (p = 0.04) was observed in the sumatriptan cohort. Subgroup analysis revealed significantly lower postoperative pain scores at 6 (p = 0.05), 12 (p < 0.01), and 24 (p < 0.01) hours in patients who underwent burr hole placement in the sumatriptan cohort as compared with controls; however, no significant difference in opioid consumption was noted. No adverse events related to sumatriptan administration were noted throughout the study.

Conclusions: Postoperative single-dose subcutaneous sumatriptan following elective craniotomy may reduce pain scores and opioid requirements. Additional studies are needed to better understand nuanced differences in opioid modulation and optimal patient selection.