Is there value in alvimopan in minimally invasive colorectal surgery?

BACKGROUND: Alvimopan's goal is to minimize postoperative ileus and optimize outcomes; however, evidence in laparoscopic surgery is lacking. Our goal was to evaluate the benefit of alvimopan in laparoscopic colorectal surgery with an enhanced recovery pathway (ERP). METHODS: Laparoscopic colorectal cases were stratified into alvimopan and control cohorts, then case-matched for comparability. All followed an identical ERP. The main outcomes were length of stay, complications, readmissions, and costs in the alvimopan and control groups. RESULTS: About 321 patients were analyzed in each cohort. Operative times were comparable (P = .08). Postoperatively, complication rates were similar (P = .29), with no difference in ileus (P = 1.00). The length of stay (3.69 vs 3.49 days; P = .16), readmission (2.8% vs 3.7%; P = .66) and reoperation rates (2.2% vs 1.6%; P = .77) were comparable for alvimopan and controls, respectively. Total costs were similar ($14,932.47 alvimopan vs $14,846.56 controls; P = .90), but the additional costs in the alvimopan group could translate to savings of $27,577 in the cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Alvimopan added no benefit in patient outcomes in laparoscopic colorectal surgery with an ERP. These results could drive a change in current practice. Controlled studies are warranted to define the cost and/or benefit in clinical practice.