Opioid Consumption Following Foot and Ankle Surgery

• Main Authors: Haley Merrill MD, Steven Neufeld MD, Matthew Buchanan MD, Daniel Cuttica DO, Daniel Dean MD, Jay Mottla
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 2017-09-01
• Series: Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1177/2473011417S000292

Category: Ankle, Bunion, Hindfoot, Lesser Toes, Midfoot/Forefoot Introduction/Purpose: Orthopaedic surgeons frequently prescribe pain medications during the postoperative period. The efficacy of these medications at alleviating pain after foot/ankle surgery and the quantity of medication required (and conversely, the quantity of medication leftover) are unknown. Methods: All patients that underwent foot/ankle surgery during a three month period and met inclusion criteria were surveyed at their first postoperative visit (4-10 days after surgery). Information collected from the patients included gender, number of narcotic tablets remaining in the bottle, satisfaction with pain control, and willingness to surrender leftover narcotics to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) disposal center. These data were collected prospectively. Additional data, including utilization of a perioperative nerve block, type of procedure (bony vs non-bony), and anatomic region of procedure, were collected by review of the medical record. All data were analyzed in a retrospective fashion. Results: A total of 47 surveys were filled out over the course of 4 weeks. Eighty-five percent of patients were either extremely satisfied or satisfied with their pain control. Ninety-six percent of patients had short acting opioids leftover, and 94% of patients had long acting opioids leftover. On average, there were 27 short acting and 11 long acting narcotic pills leftover at the first postoperative visit (4-10 days after surgery). Of those with leftover narcotic medications, 72% were willing to surrender them to a DEA disposal center. Conclusion: Most patients undergoing foot/ankle surgery had both short and long acting narcotic pain pills leftover at the first postoperative visit (4-10 days after surgery). While it is unknown how many patients continue to require narcotics after the first week from surgery, most patients said they would be willing to surrender any leftover opioid medications to a DEA disposal center. In the future, perhaps patients should be given information on the location of the nearest disposal center when given prescriptions for narcotics.