Enhancing the Biopsychosocial Approach to Perioperative Care: A Pilot Randomized Trial of the Perioperative Pain Self-management (PePS) Intervention

The current study aimed to pilot the PePS intervention, based on principles of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), to determine feasibility and preliminary efficacy for preventing chronic pain and long-term opioid use. Surgery can precipitate the development of both chronic pain and long-term opioid use. CBT can reduce distress and improve functioning among patients with chronic pain. Adapting CBT to target acute pain management in the postoperative period may impact longer-term postoperative outcomes. This was a mixed-methods randomized controlled trial in a mixed surgical sample with assignment to standard care or PePS, with primary outcomes at 3-months postsurgery. The sample consisted of rural-dwelling United States Military Veterans. Logistic regression analyses found a significant effect of PePS on odds of moderate-severe pain (on average over the last week) at 3-months postsurgery, controlling for preoperative moderate-severe pain: Adjusted odds ratio = 0.25 (95% CI: 0.07-0.95, P < 0.05). At 3-months postsurgery, 15% (6/39) of standard care participants and 2% (1/45) of PePS participants used opioids in the prior seven days: Adjusted Odds ratio = 0.10 (95% CI: 0.01-1.29, P = .08). Changes in depression, anxiety, and pain catastrophizing were not significantly different between arms. The findings from this study support the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the PePS intervention.