BACKGROUND

Prescription opioids are standard of care for postoperative pain management after musculoskeletal surgery, but there is no guideline or consensus on best practices. Variability in the intensity of opioids prescribed for postoperative recovery has been documented, but it is unclear whether this variability is clinically motivated or associated with provider practice patterns, or how this variation is associated with patient outcomes. This study described variation in the intensity of opioids prescribed for patients undergoing rotator cuff repair (RCR) and examined associations with provider prescribing patterns and patients' long-term opioid use outcomes.

METHODS

Medicare data from 2010 to 2012 were used to identify 16,043 RCRs for patients with new shoulder complaints in 2011. Two measures of perioperative opioid use were created: (1) any opioid fill occurring 3 days before to 7 days after RCR and (2) total morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) of all opioid fills during that period. Patient outcomes for persistent opioid use after RCR included (1) any opioid fill from 90 to 180 days after RCR and (2) the lack of any 30-day gap in opioid availability during that period. Generalized linear regression models were used to estimate associations between provider characteristics and opioid use for RCR, and between opioid use and outcomes. All models adjusted for patient clinical and demographic characteristics. Separate analyses were done for patients with and without opioid use in the 180 days before RCR.

RESULTS

In this sample, 54% of patients undergoing RCR were opioid naive at the time of RCR. Relative to prior users, a greater proportion of opioid naive users had any opioid fill (85.7% vs. 75.4%), but prior users received more MMEs than naive users (565 vs. 451 MMEs). Providers' opioid prescribing for other patients was associated with the intensity of perioperative opioids received for RCR. Total MMEs received for RCR were associated with higher odds of persistent opioid use 90-180 days after RCR.

CONCLUSIONS

The intensity of opioids received by patients for postoperative pain appears to be partially determined by the prescribing habits of their providers. Greater intensity of opioids received is, in turn, associated with greater odds of patterns of chronic opioid use after surgery. More comprehensive, patient-centered guidance on opioid prescribing is needed to help surgeons provide optimal postoperative pain management plans, balancing needs for short-term symptom relief and risks for long-term outcomes.