Kate R Pawloski1, Varadan Sevilimedu2, Rebecca Twersky3, Audree B Tadros1, Laurie J Kirstein1, Hiram S Cody1, Monica Morrow1, Tracy-Ann Moo4. 1. Department of Surgery, Breast Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA. 2. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Biostatistics Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA. 3. Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA. 4. Department of Surgery, Breast Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA. moot@mskcc.org.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Multimodal analgesia (MMA) during breast surgery reduces postoperative pain and opioid requirements, but the relative contribution of local anesthetic dosing as a component of MMA is not well defined among patients undergoing lumpectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified consecutive patients who underwent lumpectomy and SLNB with MMA from 1/2019 to 4/2020. Univariable and multivariable linear and logistic regression were used to examine associations between local anesthetics, opioid requirements in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), and pain scores in the PACU and on postoperative day (POD) 1. RESULTS: In total, 1603 patients [median tumor size, 14 mm (interquartile range 8-20 mm)] were included. The median PACU opioid requirement was 0 morphine milligram equivalents (interquartile range 0-5). PACU maximum pain was none or mild in 58% of patients and moderate to severe in 42%; among 420 survey respondents, 56% reported no or mild pain and 44% reported moderate to severe pain on POD 1. On multivariable analysis that adjusted for routine components of MMA, increasing doses of 0.5% bupivacaine were associated with reduced PACU opioid requirements (β -0.04, 95% confidence interval -0.07 to -0.01, p = 0.011) and lower odds of moderate to severe pain (odds ratio 0.98, 95% confidence interval 0.97-0.99, p < 0.001). Local anesthetics were not associated with pain scores on POD 1. CONCLUSIONS: Higher amounts of local anesthetics reduce acute postoperative pain and opioid requirement after lumpectomy and SLNB. Maximizing dosing within weight-based limits is a low-risk, cost-effective pain control strategy that can be used in diverse practice settings.
BACKGROUND: Multimodal analgesia (MMA) during breast surgery reduces postoperative pain and opioid requirements, but the relative contribution of local anesthetic dosing as a component of MMA is not well defined among patients undergoing lumpectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified consecutive patients who underwent lumpectomy and SLNB with MMA from 1/2019 to 4/2020. Univariable and multivariable linear and logistic regression were used to examine associations between local anesthetics, opioid requirements in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), and pain scores in the PACU and on postoperative day (POD) 1. RESULTS: In total, 1603 patients [median tumor size, 14 mm (interquartile range 8-20 mm)] were included. The median PACU opioid requirement was 0 morphine milligram equivalents (interquartile range 0-5). PACU maximum pain was none or mild in 58% of patients and moderate to severe in 42%; among 420 survey respondents, 56% reported no or mild pain and 44% reported moderate to severe pain on POD 1. On multivariable analysis that adjusted for routine components of MMA, increasing doses of 0.5% bupivacaine were associated with reduced PACU opioid requirements (β -0.04, 95% confidence interval -0.07 to -0.01, p = 0.011) and lower odds of moderate to severe pain (odds ratio 0.98, 95% confidence interval 0.97-0.99, p < 0.001). Local anesthetics were not associated with pain scores on POD 1. CONCLUSIONS: Higher amounts of local anesthetics reduce acute postoperative pain and opioid requirement after lumpectomy and SLNB. Maximizing dosing within weight-based limits is a low-risk, cost-effective pain control strategy that can be used in diverse practice settings.