Prevention and Treatment of Postoperative Pain after Lumbar Spine Procedures: A Systematic Review

Effect of esketamine combined with pregabalin on acute postsurgical pain in patients who underwent resection of spinal neoplasms: a randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT

Moderate-to-severe acute postsurgical pain (APSP) can prolong the recovery and worsen the prognosis of patients who undergo spinal surgery. Esketamine and pregabalin may resolve APSP without causing hyperpathia or respiratory depression after surgery. However, there are other risks, such as dissociative symptoms. We designed a randomized controlled trial to investigate the effect of the combination of these 2 drugs on the incidence of APSP in patients who underwent resection of spinal neoplasms. Patients aged 18 to 65 years were randomized to receive esketamine (a bolus dose of 0.5 mg·kg -1 and an infusion dose of 0.12 mg·kg -1 ·h -1 for 48 hours after surgery) combined with oral pregabalin (75-150 mg/day, starting 2 hours before surgery and ending at 2 weeks after surgery) or an identical volume of normal saline and placebo capsules. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with moderate-to-severe APSP (visual analog scale score ≥ 40) during the first 48 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of drug-related adverse events. A total of 90 patients were randomized. The incidence of moderate-to-severe APSP in the combined group (27.3%) was lower than that in the control group (60.5%) during the first 48 hours after surgery (odds ratio = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.10-0.61; P = 0.002). The occurrence of mild dissociative symptoms was higher in the combined group than in the control group (18.2% vs 0%). In conclusion, esketamine combined with pregabalin could effectively alleviate APSP after spinal surgery, but an analgesic strategy might increase the risk of mild dissociative symptoms.

Pregabalin as an effective treatment for acute postoperative pain following spinal surgery without major side effects: protocol for a prospective, randomized controlled, double-blinded trial

BACKGROUND

Patients experience considerable postoperative pain after spinal surgery. As the spine is located at the centre of the body and supports body weight, severe postoperative pain hinders upper body elevation and gait which can lead to various complications, including pulmonary deterioration and pressure sores. It is important to effectively control postoperative pain to prevent such complications. Gabapentinoids are widely used as preemptive multimodal analgesia, but their effects and side effects are dose-dependent. This study was designed to examine the efficacy and side effects of varying doses of postoperative pregabalin for the treatment of postoperative pain after spinal surgery.

METHODS

This is a prospective, randomized controlled, double-blind study. A total of 132 participants will be randomly assigned to the placebo (n = 33) group or to the pregabalin 25 mg (n = 33), 50 mg (n = 33), or 75 mg (n = 33) groups. Each participant will be administered placebo or pregabalin once prior to surgery and every 12 h after surgery for 72 h. The primary outcome will be the visual analogue scale pain score, total dose of administered intravenous patient-controlled analgesia, and frequency of rescue analgesic administered for 72 h from arrival to the general ward after surgery, subdivided into four periods: 1-6 h, 6-24 h, 24-48 h, and 48-72 h. The secondary outcomes will be the incidence and frequency of nausea and vomiting due to intravenous patient-controlled analgesia. Safety will be assessed by monitoring the occurrence of side effects such as sedation, dizziness, headache, visual disturbance, and swelling.

DISCUSSION

Pregabalin is already widely used as preemptive analgesia and, unlike nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, is not associated with a risk of nonunion after spinal surgery. A recent meta-analysis demonstrated the analgesic efficacy and opioid-sparing effect of gabapentinoids with significantly decreased risks of nausea, vomiting, and pruritus. This study will provide evidence for the optimal dosage of pregabalin for the treatment of postoperative pain after spinal surgery.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05478382. Registered on 26 July 2022.

Utility of Erector Spinae Plane Blocks for Postoperative Pain Management and Opioid Reduction Following Lumbar Fusions

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of the erector spinae plane regional anesthesia (ESP) block in reducing opioid medication usage and postanesthesia care unit length of stay (PACU-LOS) for patients undergoing either a posterior or transforaminal lumbar interbody fusions (PLIF/TLIF).

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Posterior lumbar spine fusion is a common surgical procedure typically associated with significant postoperative pain. Poorly controlled postoperative pain can lead to a number of poor outcomes. Although opioids are a mainstay for pain control, they are associated with adverse effects and a risk of dependence. Therefore, multimodal pain control has become more prevalent in orthopedics and combines traditional opioid and nonopioid pain mediation with general anesthesia protocols and regional nerve blocks.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective chart review was conducted for patients undergoing PLIFs or TLIFs between 2019 and 2021. Patients were placed into 2 groups, those receiving an ESP block and those that did not. T tests assuming unequal variances were used to assess differences in pain scores, opioid consumption, and PACU-LOS between groups.

RESULTS

The study group demonstrated a 35% reduction in opioid use ( P =0.016), a 16% reduction in pain with activity ( P =0.042), and a 9.7% reduction in pain at rest ( P =0.219) compared with the control group. There were no significant differences in PACU-LOS between groups ( P =0.314).

CONCLUSION

The use of an ESP block for patients undergoing PLIFs and TLIFs appears to be a safe and effective means to manage postoperative pain and reduce opioid consumption.

Robot-Assisted Kyphoplasty versus Fluoroscopy-Assisted Kyphoplasty: A Meta-Analysis of Postoperative Outcomes

Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures are the most common manifestation of osteoporosis. Percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) can lead to both pain improvement and correction of kyphosis secondary to collapsed vertebral bodies. Robot-assisted (RA) PKP has been reported to provide better vertebral body fracture correction than conventional fluoroscopy-assisted (FA) PKP. The aim of this meta-analysis is to compare clinical outcomes of RA PKP versus FA PKP. The Pubmed, Embase, and MEDLINE electronic databases were searched from January 1900 to December 2022, with no language restrictions for relevant articles. We extracted the preoperative and postoperative mean pain score and standard deviation from the included studies and pooled them using an inverse variance method. Statistical analyses were performed using functions available in the metafor package in R software. The results of this meta-analysis were summarized with weighted mean differences (WMDs). Our search strategy identified 181 references from the Pubmed, Embase, and MEDLINE electronic databases. We excluded duplicates and irrelevant references, after screening titles and abstracts. The remaining 12 studies were retrieved for full-text review, and, finally, we included five retrospective cohort studies from 2015 to 2021, comprising 223 patients undergoing RA PKP and 246 patients undergoing FA PKP. No difference was found in subgroup analysis based on the timing of postoperative pain assessment, despite the overall estimate of postoperative pain indicating a significant difference between the RA PKP and FA PKP groups (WMD, −0.22; 95% CI, −0.39 to −0.05). The long-term pain assessment revealed a significantly lower VAS in the RA PKP group than the FA PKP group at six months postoperatively (WMD, −0.15; 95% CI, −0.30 to −0.01), but no difference between the subgroups at three (WMD, 0.06; 95% CI, −0.41 to −0.54) and twelve months (WMD, −0.10; 95% CI, −0.50 to 0.30) postoperatively. Our meta-analysis revealed no significant difference in postoperative pain between RA PKP and FA PKP. Patients undergoing RA PKP had better pain improvement compared to FA PKP at 6 months postoperatively. However, further studies focusing on long-term outcomes in patients undergoing RA PKP are warranted to clarify its benefit, given the small number of included studies.

Utility of the transversus abdominis plane and rectus sheath blocks in patients undergoing anterior lumbar interbody fusions

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) is a well-established technique to address numerous pathological conditions of the spine and to restore sagittal spine balance. Improving patient comfort and reducing opioid consumption following lumbar fusions is a significant goal for spine surgeons. Therefore, there is a growing need to explore multimodal options for pain management post-surgery.

PURPOSE

Determine the effectiveness of combined transversus abdominis plane (TAP) and rectus sheath (RS) blocks in those undergoing (ALIF) as compared to a historical control.

STUDY DESIGN/SETTING

Retrospective comparative cohort performed at a tertiary referral orthopedic specialty hospital.

PATIENT SAMPLE

Of the 175 patients (88 patients received a combined regional block) who underwent an ALIF between January 1, 2018 and August 1, 2021.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Pain scores both during activity and at rest, opioid consumption during the first 72 hours postoperatively, total postoperative anesthesia care unit length of stay (PACU LOS), 30-day emergency department visits, 30-day readmissions, and unplanned returns to the operating room.

METHODS

Charts of patients undergoing an ALIF during the open period for this study were placed into two groups: those that received combined regional anesthesia and those that did not. A t test assuming unequal variances was used to determine if there were differences in outcome variables between the two groups.

RESULTS

The study group, those receiving the combine block, demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in opioid pain medicine (24.8%), reported pain (10-13%), and PACU LOS (18.7%). There were no differences in complication rates between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The combined use of TAP and RS blocks appears to be a well-tolerated and effective means of pain management in this patient cohort.

Experiences of Patients Taking Conditioned Open-Label Placebos for Reduction of Postoperative Pain and Opioid Exposure After Spine Surgery

BACKGROUND

Pain after spine surgery is difficult to manage, often requiring the use of opioid analgesics. While traditional "deceptive" or concealed placebo has been studied in trials and laboratory experiments, the acceptability and patient experience of taking honestly prescribed placebos, such as "open-label" placebo (non-deceptive placebo), or conditioned placebo (pairing placebo with another active pharmaceutical) is relatively unexamined.

METHODS

Qualitative thematic analysis was performed using semi-structured, post-treatment interviews with spine surgery patients (n = 18) who had received conditioned open-label placebo (COLP) during the first 2-3 weeks after surgery as part of a RCT. Interview transcripts were reviewed by 3 investigators using an immersion/crystallization approach, followed by iterative large-group discussions with additional investigators, to identify, refine, and codify emergent themes.

RESULTS

Patients' experiences and perceptions of COLP efficacy varied widely. Some emergent themes included the power of the mind over pain, how COLP might provide distraction from or agency over pain, bandwidth required and engagement with COLP, and its modulation of opioid tapering, as well as negative attitudes toward opioids and pill taking in general. Other themes included uncertainty about COLP efficacy, observations of how personality may relate to COLP efficacy, and a recognition of the greater impact of COLP on reduction of opioid use rather than on pain itself. Interestingly, participant uncertainty, disbelief, and skepticism were not necessarily associated with greater opioid consumption or worse pain.

CONCLUSION

Participants provided insights into the experience of COLP which may help to guide its future utilization to manage acute pain and tapering from opioids.

Effects of Intravenous Analgesia Using Tramadol on Postoperative Depression State and Sleep Quality in Women Undergoing Abdominal Endoscopic Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose

This study aimed to explore the effects of intravenous analgesia using tramadol on postoperative depression, anxiety, and sleep in women undergoing abdominal endoscopic surgery.

Patients and Methods

Two hundred female patients (100 in each group) who underwent abdominal endoscopic surgery were recruited to randomly receive intravenous analgesia with sufentanil combined with tramadol (tramadol group) or sufentanil (control group). The primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative depression, which was assessed at 1, 2, and 3 days after surgery using the 13-item Beck Depression Inventory. The secondary outcomes were the incidence of anxiety and sleep quality, which were assessed using the 20-item Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Richards–Campbell Sleep Questionnaire.

Results

The incidence of depression (Beck depression scale≥4) during the 3-day follow-up in the control group was 51%, which was significantly higher than that in the tramadol group of 28% (relative risk [RR]=0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38–0.79; P=0.001). No difference was found in the incidence of anxiety state (Self-Rating Anxiety Scale≥40) between the tramadol and control groups (7%vs 5%; RR=1.40; 95% CI, 0.46–4.25; P=0.552). All of the Richards–Campbell sleep scales of patients in the tramadol group at 1 (77.4±15.2 vs 64.2±20.1, P<0.001), 2 (84.1±14.9 vs 71.8±18.8, P<0.001), and 3 days (87.0±12.2 vs 70.3±21.0, P<0.001) after surgery were higher than those in the control group.

Conclusion

Intravenous analgesia using tramadol can effectively improve the postoperative depression and sleep status of women undergoing abdominal endoscopic surgery. Tramadol is recommended for use in postoperative analgesia when improving postoperative mood, and sleep is needed in clinical practice.

Does TENS Reduce the Intensity of Acute and Chronic Pain? A Comprehensive Appraisal of the Characteristics and Outcomes of 169 Reviews and 49 Meta-Analyses

Background and Objectives: Uncertainty about the clinical efficacy of transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) to alleviate pain spans half a century. There has been no attempt to synthesise the entire body of systematic review evidence. The aim of this comprehensive review was to critically appraise the characteristics and outcomes of systematic reviews evaluating the clinical efficacy of TENS for any type of acute and chronic pain in adults. Materials and Methods: We searched electronic databases for full reports of systematic reviews of studies, overviews of systematic reviews, and hybrid reviews that evaluated the efficacy of TENS for any type of clinical pain in adults. We screened reports against eligibility criteria and extracted data related to the characteristics and outcomes of the review, including effect size estimates. We conducted a descriptive analysis of extracted data. Results: We included 169 reviews consisting of eight overviews, seven hybrid reviews and 154 systematic reviews with 49 meta-analyses. A tally of authors' conclusions found a tendency toward benefits from TENS in 69/169 reviews, no benefits in 13/169 reviews, and inconclusive evidence in 87/169 reviews. Only three meta-analyses pooled sufficient data to have confidence in the effect size estimate (i.e., pooled analysis of >500 events). Lower pain intensity was found during TENS compared with control for chronic musculoskeletal pain and labour pain, and lower analgesic consumption was found post-surgery during TENS. The appraisal revealed repeated shortcomings in RCTs that have hindered confident judgements about efficacy, resulting in stagnation of evidence. Conclusions: Our appraisal reveals examples of meta-analyses with 'sufficient data' demonstrating benefit. There were no examples of meta-analyses with 'sufficient data' demonstrating no benefit. Therefore, we recommend that TENS should be considered as a treatment option. The considerable quantity of reviews with 'insufficient data' and meaningless findings have clouded the issue of efficacy. We offer solutions to these issues going forward.

Postoperative Analgesia after Open Liver Surgery: Systematic Review of Clinical Evidence

Background: The existing recommendations for after open liver surgery, published in 2019, contains limited evidence on the use of regional analgesia techniques. The aim of this systematic review is to summarize available clinical evidence, published after September 2013, on systemic or blended postoperative analgesia for the prevention or treatment of postoperative pain after open liver surgery. Methods: The PUBMED and EMBASE registries were used for the literature search to identify suitable studies. Keywords for the literature search were selected, with the authors’ agreement, using the PICOS approach: participants, interventions, comparisons, outcomes, and study design. Results: The literature search led to the retrieval of a total of 800 studies. A total of 36 studies including 25 RCTs, 5 prospective observational, and 7 retrospective observational studies were selected as suitable for this systematic review. Conclusions: The current evidence suggests that, in these patients, optimal postoperative pain management should rely on using a “blended approach” which includes the use of systemic opioids and the infusion of NSAIDs along with regional techniques. This approach warrants the highest efficacy in terms of pain prevention, including the lower incretion of postoperative “stress hormones”, and fewer side effects. Furthermore, concerns about the potential for the increased risk of wound infection related to the use of regional techniques have been ruled out.

Is preemptive analgesia a good choice for postoperative pain relief in lumbar spine surgeries?: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Lumbar spine surgery is associated with moderate-to-severe postoperative pain. Adequate pain management during the postoperative period facilitates rehabilitation. Recently, preemptive analgesia has been considered among the important analgesic methods for reducing postoperative pain. However, its efficacy in postoperative pain relief after lumbar spine surgery remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of preemptive analgesia on lumbar spine surgery.

METHODS

We searched for randomized controlled trials in PubMed (1996 to May 2020), Embase (1980 to May 2020), and Cochrane Library (CENTRAL, May 2020). We included seven studies that evaluated the preemptive analgesic efficacy in lumbar spine surgeries.

RESULTS

Seven studies, including 509 patients, met the inclusion criteria. Pooled data revealed that preemptive analgesia is effective for lumbar spine surgeries with respect to the visual analog scale score (P < .05), total morphine equivalent consumption (P < .05), and length of stay (P < .05), without increasing complications (P = .73).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that preemptive analgesia is safe and effective for lumbar spine surgery.

Experience with an Enhanced Recovery After Spine Surgery protocol at an academic community hospital

OBJECTIVE

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols have rapidly gained popularity in multiple surgical specialties and are recognized for their potential to improve patient outcomes and decrease hospitalization costs. However, they have only recently been applied to spinal surgery. The goal in the present work was to describe the development, implementation, and impact of an Enhanced Recovery After Spine Surgery (ERASS) protocol for patients undergoing elective spine procedures at an academic community hospital.

METHODS

A multidisciplinary team, drawing on prior publications and spine surgery best practices, collaborated to develop an ERASS protocol. Patients undergoing elective cervical or lumbar procedures were prospectively enrolled at a single tertiary care center; interventions were standardized across the cohort for pre-, intra-, and postoperative care using standardized order sets in the electronic medical record. Protocol efficacy was evaluated by comparing enrolled patients to a historic cohort of age- and procedure-matched controls. The primary study outcomes were quantity of opiate use in morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) on postoperative day (POD) 1 and length of stay. Secondary outcomes included frequency and duration of indwelling urinary catheter use, discharge disposition, 30-day readmission and reoperation rates, and complication rates. Multivariable linear regression was used to determine whether ERASS protocol use was independently predictive of opiate use on POD 1.

RESULTS

In total, 97 patients were included in the study cohort and were compared with a historic cohort of 146 patients. The patients in the ERASS group had lower POD 1 opiate use than the control group (26 ± 33 vs 42 ± 40 MMEs, p < 0.001), driven largely by differences in opiate-naive patients (16 ± 21 vs 38 ± 36 MMEs, p < 0.001). Additionally, patients in the ERASS group had shorter hospitalizations than patients in the control group (51 ± 30 vs 62 ± 49 hours, p = 0.047). On multivariable regression, implementation of the ERASS protocol was independently predictive of lower POD 1 opiate consumption (β = -7.32, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in any of the secondary outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors found that the development and implementation of a comprehensive ERASS protocol led to a modest reduction in postoperative opiate consumption and hospital length of stay in patients undergoing elective cervical or lumbar procedures. As suggested by these results and those of other groups, the implementation of ERASS protocols may reduce care costs and improve patient outcomes after spine surgery.

Bilateral ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block in patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion: A randomized controlled trial

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Spinal fusion surgery is associated with severe postoperative pain. We examined whether bilateral ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block could alleviate postoperative pain in patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion.

DESIGN

Blinded, randomized, controlled study.

SETTING

Tertiary university hospital, operating room, postoperative recovery room and ward.

PATIENTS

Sixty patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists grade I or II scheduled for lumbar spinal fusion surgery were randomized into the erector spinae plane block group (ESPB group) and the control group in a 1:1 ratio.

INTERVENTIONS

Pre-operative ultrasound-guided bilateral erector spinae plane block was performed in the ESPB group, while sham subcutaneous infiltration was performed in the control group.

MEASUREMENTS

The primary outcome was pain intensity at rest within 12 h postoperatively using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Secondary outcomes included NRS pain scores at rest and on movement, postoperative opioid consumption and proportions of patients requiring opioid during the first 48 h after surgery.

MAIN RESULTS

The ESPB group (n = 30) showed significantly lower pain scores at rest at 4 h after surgery (estimated mean difference - 1.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] -2.4 to -0.8, p < 0.001), at 8 h (-1.3, 95% CI -1.9 to -0.6, p < 0.001), and at 12 h (-0.7, 95% CI -1.3 to -0.1, p = 0.023). The two groups showed similar pain scores at rest at 24 h after surgery (estimated mean difference - 0.2, 95% CI -0.8 to 0.5) and 48 h (-0.3, 95% CI -0.8 to 0.2). The ESPB group also showed significantly lower pain score on movement at 4 h after surgery (-1.5, 95% CI -2.5 to -0.6). The ESPB group showed a significantly smaller proportion of patients requiring sufentanil within 12 h after surgery (p = 0.020), and the group consumed significantly less sufentanil during that period (p = 0.042).

CONCLUSIONS

Bilateral ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block improves postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion.

Anesthesia and postoperative pain control-multimodal anesthesia protocol

Multimodal analgesia (MMA) involves the use of additive or synergistic combinations of analgesics to achieve clinically required analgesia while minimizing significant side effects associated with higher dose of a single equianalgesic medication such as an opioid analgesic. MMA generally involves optimizing non-opioid pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions and reserving opioid use to treat breakthrough pain. Patients receiving medications via MMA protocols are likely to have lower opioid consumption compared to those managed using primarily IV opioid patient-controlled analgesia. MMA pain management strategies have become important components of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols in an effort to optimize care by standardizing analgesic medications in the perioperative setting while minimizing adverse effects and improving quality and patient outcomes. Successful implementation of a MMA requires the input and cooperation of all of the stakeholders including the caregivers as well as the patients. Health system benefits can also be realized from the implementation of an effective MMA, as fewer opioid related side effects can improve patient recovery and lead to faster discharge and improved utilization of resources.

Effects of a multimodal analgesic pathway with transversus abdominis plane block for lumbar spine fusion: a prospective feasibility trial

PURPOSE

Lumbar spine fusion with anterior (ALIF) or lateral (LLIF) approach is a moderately painful procedure associated with significant length of hospital stay (LoS) and opioid requirements. We developed an opioid-sparing analgesic pathway of care for ALIF and LLIF, featuring transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block. In this study, we assessed the feasibility of performing the TAP block as an analgesic adjunct for ALIF or LLIF.

METHODS

This is a prospective feasibility study of 32 patients. All patients received pre-incisional TAP block, regularly scheduled non-opioid analgesics (gabapentin, acetaminophen, ketorolac), and oral tramadol, as needed. The primary feasibility outcomes were rates of recruitment, adherence and adverse events associated with the TAP block. Secondary outcomes included assessment of TAP block efficacy and duration, numeric rating scale (NRS) pain scores, LoS and opioid consumption.

RESULTS

Thirty-three patients were approached for the study, and all were enrolled. One patient did not have surgery. All patients received the intervention. There were no block-related adverse events. PACU NRS scores were significantly lower (1.9 ± 3.0) than at postoperative day 1 (POD1; 3.3 ± 2.5). The TAP block was effective in 31/32 patients, with 1 failed block. Median LoS was 26.8 h (IQR 22.8-49.5 h). Median opioid consumption was 57.5 oral morphine equivalents (IQR 30-74.38). One patient required opioid iv patient-controlled analgesia.

CONCLUSIONS

Applying TAP block to spine surgery is a novel pain management strategy. This study demonstrates high patient acceptance and the general safety of the technique. Although lacking a control arm, these results also provide preliminary data supporting efficacy. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

[Current trends in the development of neuroanesthesiology]

The paper presents the author's analysis of the main trends in the development of modern neuroanesthesiology over the past five to ten years. These, in the author\s opinion, include the introduction and elaboration of blood-sparing techniques, monitoring the depth of anesthesia, fast track concept, applying regional (conduction) anesthesia techniques, xenon anesthesia, development of effective and safe protocols for DVT and PTE prophylaxis for neurosurgical patients, study of the hemostatic system using bedside methods for assessing hemostasis (thromboelastogram) and correcting hypocoagulation by activated recombinant VII factor.