Risks associated with chronic cannabis use on opioid use, length of stay, and revision rate for patients undergoing posterior lumbar interbody fusion.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Opioids are commonly prescribed to treat spinal pain, especially those undergoing surgery. Cannabis has been suggested as an agent that can modulate opioid needs in these patients. PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of cannabis use on perioperative opioid requirement and revision surgery rate in patients undergoing lumbar fusion. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study. PATIENT SAMPLE: A total of 48,499 patients from PearlDiver national database who underwent posterior lumbar interbody fusion. OUTCOME MEASURES: Opioid-use rates, MME, length of stay, and revision rates. METHODS: Using PearlDiver, we identified patients for posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF), cannabis use disorder, revision lumbar fusion, demographics, and comorbidities. Cannabis users and non-users were propensity matched for age, sex, and tobacco use. Pre and postoperative cumulative morphine milli equivalence (MME) were calculated. Opioid-use rates, MME, length of stay (LOS), and revision rates were compared using univariate analysis. Revision rates were compared using Kaplan-Meyer log-rank analysis, and logistic and cox regression. RESULTS: Of 48,499 patients undergoing PLIF, 3.4% were identified as chronic cannabis users. They were younger, and more likely to be male and use tobacco. They had a higher rate and amount of opioid use within 90-days preoperatively, and 90- and 365-days postoperatively, after controlling for age, sex, and tobacco use. Cannabis users had longer LOS (4.4 vs 4.0 days), and a higher rate of revision surgery (6.9% vs 3.2%). Log-rank analysis, as well as logistic and cox regression confirmed an increased revision rate. Concurrent tobacco and cannabis use also had an additive effect on revision rate to 8.1%, compared with those who used only cannabis (5.4%) or tobacco (4.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Chronic cannabis use is associated with an increased preoperative and long-term postoperative opioid use, a longer length of stay, and an increased revision rate.

Understanding the Pain Management Landscape Within the US Bleeding Disorder Community: A Multi-Center Survey.

OBJECTIVES: Pain is a known complication in persons with hemophilia (PWH) as a result of muscle and joint bleeding. Little is known regarding national Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC) practice patterns related to pain management. The aim of this study was to: 1) Describe pain management practice patterns of HTC providers, 2) Identify gaps and areas of alignment with the CDC pain guidelines, and 3) Address educational opportunities for pain management. This survey is the first extensive description of multidisciplinary practice patterns of pain management for PWH. METHODS: This descriptive study involved physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, physical therapists, and social workers from federally funded Hemophilia Treatment Centers (HTC) eligible to complete an online survey exploring pain management practice patterns within the CDC pain guidelines. RESULTS: Results of this survey shed light on areas of strength and cohesiveness between HTC providers, including the following: dedication to effective pain management, utilization of non-pharmacological pain options, trial of non-opioid medications first before opioids, maintaining follow-up with patients after opioid prescription initiation, recognizing and utilizing clinically important findings before prescribing opioids, and counseling their patients regarding potential risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: There remain opportunities to incorporate into clinical practice consistent use of tools such as formal screening questionnaires, opioid use agreements, written measurable goals, ongoing prescription monitoring, and written plans for discontinuation of opioid therapy. These results provide opportunities for improvement in education of HTC team members thus optimizing pain management in persons with bleeding disorders.

Pain Management in Neurosurgery: Back and Lower Extremity Pain, Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Interventional anesthetic techniques are an integral component of a biopsychosocial approach and multidisciplinary treatment. Injection techniques are often used to diagnose disorders, decrease the need for surgery, or increase the time to surgery. The role of neural blockade techniques using local anesthetics and steroids in the assessment and treatment of pain continues to be refined. With the current opioid crisis and an aging population with increasing medical comorbidities, there is an emphasis on the use of nonopioid, nonsurgical, and multimodal therapies to treat chronic pain. This article reviews indications, goals, and methods of common injection techniques.