Optimization of Post-Operative Pain Following Orthognathic Surgery With Personalized Opioid Prescription and Tapering Protocols

This study aims to investigate the use of post-operative pain management following orthognathic surgery, with a focus on the use of opioid medication. Orthognathic surgery is a foundational surgery for the correction of dentofacial deformities, which requires osteotomies, rearrangement, and fixation of the facial bones into a new position. Participants are often placed into maxillomandibular fixation postoperatively, limiting the range of motion of the mandible. The surgical trauma provoked by the osteotomies, stripping of facial muscles, and swelling of the associated soft tissue envelope can result in significant post-operative pain in participants. This pain is one of the primary reasons participants are admitted following surgery for up to several days. Further complicating pain management for these participants is the maxillomandibular fixation, which reduces the ability of participants to verbally communicate with their nursing staff about their levels of pain.

Multimodal analgesia using a combination of acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and opioid medications are the mainstay therapies for acute post-surgical pain. However, long-term opioid use can lead to opioid tolerance, due to various mechanisms, including receptor desensitization and downregulation. This can lead to persistent postoperative opioid use and opioid use disorder.

In Canada, the opioid crisis is on the rise in all provinces, driven by both illegal and prescription opioids. Most opioid-related deaths occurred in males between the ages of 30 to 39, with an overall increase in the use rate amongst younger age groups. Canada has the second highest rate of opioid prescription in the world, after the United States of America. The legitimate use of opioid analgesics in adolescents - who otherwise disapprove of illegal drug use - is independently associated with a 33% increased risk of opioid misuse in later life. Furthermore, persistent opioid use may be the most common complication after elective surgery. Currently, in our department, much like many other oral and maxillofacial surgical centers, there is a "standardized" prescription of opioids, such as hydromorphone, for all participants being discharged from the hospital. However, it is clear from the literature and anecdotal evidence that most participants do not require as much opioids as we currently prescribe.

In the last few years, there have been recent initiatives to personalize post-operative pain management in orthopedic joint replacement as well as spine surgeries. In these studies, the primary consideration for opioid dosing and frequency following discharge relies on the participants' opioid requirements while in the hospital. A tapering protocol and cessation timeline following discharge is tailored for each participant based on their in-patient opioid requirements to promote opioid prescription stewardship further. These studies demonstrated a reduction in post-operative opioid consumption, with no changes in perceived pain and participants' satisfaction.

This study aims to assess the postoperative analgesic efficacy, opioid requirement, and total analgesic requirements for participants undergoing orthognathic surgery with a personalized discharge opioid prescription and tapering protocol. The study will compare two groups of participants: one group will receive the standardized prescription plan of hydromorphone, while the other group will receive a personalized prescription plan. The control will receive a standardized discharge prescription of 2-4 milligrams of liquid hydromorphone taken orally every 4 hours as needed for pain, with a total prescription of 40 milligrams of hydromorphone. The experimental group will receive a personalized hydromorphone prescription and tapering protocol for the study group. This prescription will be inferred from the participant's last 24-hour in-patient requirement of opioids before being discharged. The personalized schedule is based on a modification of a prescription schedule for spine and orthopedic joint procedures derived by Dr. Edward Mariano's group at Stanford University's Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine.