BACKGROUND

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the body of evidence investigating the post-operative use of non-opioid analgesic drugs and techniques in endocrine neck surgeries. Adequate pain control is crucial for successful recovery after thyroid and parathyroid surgery. Effective postoperative pain control can shorten hospital stay, improve postoperative outcomes, decrease morbidity and improve the overall patient experience. Traditionally, opioids have been the mainstay of postoperative analgesia after thyroid and parathyroid surgeries. However, the use of opioids has been linked to an increased incidence of postoperative complications.

METHODS

A comprehensive systematic literature review via Medline, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials from inception until December 26th, 2020 was conducted, followed by meta-analysis. Abstract and full-text screening, data extraction and quality assessment were independently conducted by 2 investigators. Odds ratios (OR), mean differences (MD) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using RevMan 5.3.

RESULTS

Sixty-five randomized control trials were identified from 486 unique publications. Pooled MD and 95% confidence interval for pain scores were higher for the control group at 24 h postoperatively both at rest (-0.65 [-0.92, -0.37]) and with swallowing (-0.77 [-1.37, -0.16]). These differences were statistically significant. The pooled MD and confidence interval for postoperative analgesic requirements was lower in the intervention group (-1.38 [-1.86, -0.90]). The incidence of PONV had a pooled OR of 0.67 [0.48, 0.94].

CONCLUSION

Non-opioid analgesia was superior to the control group for pain control in patients undergoing thyroid and parathyroid operations with no significant difference in complications.