To Örebro University

BACKGROUND: Opioid-free anaesthesia (OFA) may enhance postoperative recovery after bariatric surgery, but its combined effect with opioid-free interventions has not been studied.

OBJECTIVES: To compare postoperative pain and recovery after laparoscopic bariatric surgery with a total opioid-free care pathway and conventional opioid-based treatment. DESIGN: A multicentre nonblinded controlled trial. SETTING: Two university hospitals in Sweden.

PATIENTS: Adult patients scheduled for laparoscopic bariatric surgery were enrolled between May 2019 and November 2023. Of 837 patients screened, 112 were randomised, and 110 were included in the analysis: 55 in the intervention and 55 in the control group.

INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomised to an opioid-based standard care (control group) or to an opioid-free care pathway (intervention group), including intraoperative OFA and postoperative first-line transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) treatment.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the change in patient-reported postoperative pain intensity on a numerical rating scale (NRS) from arrival in the postanaesthesia care unit (PACU) until discharge to the surgical ward. Key secondary outcomes were postoperative pain intensity, in-hospital opioid consumption, and postoperative quality of recovery scale (PQRS) scores.

RESULTS: There was no difference between the groups regarding the changes in pain intensity from arrival in PACU until discharge to the ward, with mean ± SD changes in NRS of 3.20 ± 3.01 (intervention) vs. 3.15 ± 2.25 (control); mean difference (MD) 0.04 [(95% confidence interval (CI), -1.00 to 1.08); P = 0.97], and pain intensity at 24 h (P = 0.078), 72 h (P = 0.060), and 3 months (P = 0.30) postoperatively. The intervention group had a significantly lower opioid consumption in the PACU; mean morphine equivalents 6.08 ± 12.31 vs. 51.1 ± 14.9 mg; MD -45.0 (95% CI, -50.1 to -39.8) mg; P < 0.0001; and during the hospital stay MD -40.3 (95% CI, -54.4 to -25.9) mg; P < 0.0001. Total PQRS scores did not differ significantly over the 3-month follow-up.

CONCLUSION: The opioid-free care pathway offers patients pain relief and recovery outcomes comparable to conventional opioid-based care and reduces opioid use after laparoscopic bariatric surgery.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03756961.