Perioperative management of patients with cancer pain treated with opioids: a retrospective study

Purpose We retrospectively studied perioperative management of patients receiving opioid treatment for cancer pain to facilitate establishing a standard policy for our institute. Methods Subjects were patients who had been administered strong opioids for cancer pain and had undergone surgery with general anesthesia. We divided the patients into groups C and D. Group C was comprised of patients who had been administered their baseline opioids continuously during the perioperative period, and group D of those who had discontinued baseline opioid use during this period. Results We identified 70 evaluable patients, 36 in group C and 34 in group D. The intraoperative anesthesia courses were similar, being uneventful, in all cases. With respect to postoperative adverse effects within 24 h after awakening from anesthesia, severe adverse effects (additional administration of more than four analgesics and intense agitation) were significantly more frequent in group D than in group C (12 vs 1, respectively. p = 0.004). Univariate analysis revealed that baseline opioid discontinuation was the only factor associated with severe adverse effects [odds ratio 12.6, 95% confidence interval (1.49–105.8), p = 0.01]. Conclusion Discontinuation of baseline opioid increased adverse effects in the early postoperative period, which were attributed to exacerbation of early postoperative pain.