Evaluation of opioid prescription patterns among patients undergoing thyroid surgery

Background There is variability in opioid prescription patterns among surgeons performing thyroidectomy. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate opioid prescription rates and opioid use among hemithyroidectomy (HT) and total thyroidectomy (TT) patients. Design/Method An electronic postoperative survey was distributed to assess opiate use among patients undergoing HT/TT. Groups were compared using t-tests, chi-square tests, and analysis of variance. Results A total of 142 opiate naive patients were included, of which 75 (52.8%) underwent HT and 67 (47.1%) underwent TT. The mean number of tablets prescribed was 21.3 (HT = 22.1, TT = 20.4; P = 0.3), with a mean of 14.1 tablets unused after surgery (HT = 13.2 tablets, TT = 15.0 tablets; P = 0.44). The mean morphine milligram equivalent (MME) prescribed was 150.1 mg (HT = 159.0 mg, TT = 140.2 mg; P = 0.3), with a mean of 98.2 MME unused after surgery (HT = 93.7 mg, TT = 103.2 mg; P = 0.6). Conclusions Opioids are overprescribed after thyroid surgery. Avoidance of overprescribing is vital in mitigating the current opioid crisis.

Automated summary

This study aimed to evaluate opioid prescription rates and use among patients undergoing hemithyroidectomy (HT) and total thyroidectomy (TT). The results showed that opioids are overprescribed after thyroid surgery, and avoiding overprescribing is crucial in mitigating the current opioid crisis.